While Shedeur Sanders let his four years of tape do the talking and decided not to throw at the 2025 NFL Combine, focusing on his interviews with different teams, he made sure he was available for the media and supported his Colorado teammates in several heartwarming moments.
Sanders has spent his entire football career being coached by his dad, Deion Sanders, whether in high school, with the Jackson State Tigers, or the Colorado Buffaloes.
While having your father coach you is a blessing and it has clearly worked out for Shedeur, the quarterback recently revealed the hardest part of the dynamic.
Shedeur Sanders Shares What It’s Like Being Deion Sanders’ Son
In one of his interviews during the 2025 NFL Combine, Shedeur was asked what it’s like being coached by his dad.
The Colorado star revealed that it wasn’t easy being coached by his father at first, as Deion was hard on him.
However, Shedeur expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have Coach Prime as his dad, as his standards always exceeded anybody else’s.
“At first, I’d say it was hard because, you know, he’s getting onto you all the time, and you don’t understand the expectations that he has for you. So growing up, I’m just thankful for the opportunity to have him as my dad, because I know his standards exceed everybody else’s standards for me.”
Don't worry about how we got these pictures, @ShedeurSanders 😂 pic.twitter.com/Iqr4uGPnVv
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) March 2, 2025
Throughout the NFL Combine and NFL Draft process, Shedeur has been in the spotlight more than other prospects and faced plenty of criticism and hate. Being Deion’s son certainly comes with some unique challenges, and Shedeur was asked whether having an NFL legend as a father is a privilege or extra pressure.
“It depends your mindset, your mind frame,” Shedeur said. “You know, sometimes early on in life, you can feel like it’s pressure. But when you get older, you start understanding it’s a privilege to have someone that’s been through everything you’re going to go through and [who] is able to give you the road map of life.
“So, I’m truly thankful for Pops and everything that he’s done in his career, so he’s able to, you know, show me the way in mine.”
The 2025 NFL Draft is set to take place in Green Bay from April 24 to April 26.
Sanders’ Scouting Report and NFL Draft Projection
How highly one values Sanders likely depends on how much one prioritizes positional value when putting together a draft board. If you put a premium on the quarterback position, it’s pretty clear Sanders is a first-round value. If not, though, the decision is not so simple.
Sanders is an accurate and tough quarterback with a well-built frame and plenty of throws, hitting his targets in stride from each deep third of the field. He has a good enough arm to execute throws to targets in tight windows, and there’s a natural sense of timing that tells him where to place the ball right where only his receivers can get it.
That said, there’s some mental development that needs to take place for Sanders. He’s shown that he’s capable of making full-field reads, but he tends to play Superman when he doesn’t have the raw physical talent to make that work.
His arm, though acceptable, isn’t particularly special. He’s not a statue in the pocket, but his athleticism is average. These issues can see him try too hard to extend plays that he simply can’t make, resulting in sacks or poor throws.
Compared to the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, I would argue Sanders would come in seventh as a prospect, ranking behind each of the six quarterbacks selected in the first round. This might make him more of a Day 2 talent, but the 2025 NFL Draft has a severe lack of high-end quarterback value.
Sanders arguably has the highest floor of any quarterback in the class, and he has the tools to become a solid starter in the NFL. In the right system, he could lead a team to a playoff run.
Because of average physical tools, the ceiling likely does not go much further than that. However, a respectable starting quarterback is a valuable asset in today’s game, which should see him selected with a top-10 pick come April.
PFSN’s Owain Jones has Sanders going No. 6 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in his latest 2025 NFL mock draft.
“If one of the top two quarterbacks is available here, it is difficult to see the Las Vegas passing on one,” Jones wrote. “The Sanders family has a history with the Las Vegas Raiders, who desperately need competent play under center.
“Shedeur Sanders has a pro-ready skill set but doesn’t offer the sky-high ceiling that others do. The steady Colorado passer has great accuracy, processing, and pace control to be a game manager in the NFL.”
I hope he’s a bust in the nfl.