Scouting Shedeur Sanders: Colorado quarterback similar in style, skill set to Pro Bowler Geno Smith

What I liked: Sanders is a pure thrower with a compact, smooth stroke. He has excellent balance and weight transfer upon release, possessing plenty of arm strength to drive the ball downfield. He can throw with timing/anticipation, and he’s adept at selecting the proper pace necessary for each throw.

His toughness is another quality that jumps off the screen. He will plant his feet in the ground while under duress, choosing to accept physical punishment in order to achieve completions. He took some enormous shots in the three games I studied.

Where he needs to improve: While I admire his willingness to exhaust every down, Sanders’ tendency to never give in and hold the ball results in far too many sacks. Some of these are unavoidable, to be fair. However, there are times when he tries to do too much, instead of dirting the ball and saving yardage. Stubbornness and aggressiveness aren’t the only reasons for these sacks, though.

Sanders lacks the ideal suddenness and urgency to avoid defenders and create space/time within the pocket. This can be improved. Tom Brady is the ultimate example here. The G.O.A.T. defied age and improved in this area throughout his career. Right now, Sanders is too monotone with his lower half and needs to move with more urgency.

Biggest takeaway: Sanders has the foundation in place to develop into a solid NFL starter. I love that he doesn’t throw interceptions. He sees the field well and can make every type of throw. He’s ultra-competitive and has been able to function while under an avalanche of attention and pressure. There are definitely areas where he can improve, but I like the tools combined with the mental/physical toughness.

Colorado does have one premier weapon on the outside — two-way star Travis Hunter — but the rest of the offensive personnel was quite underwhelming in the tape I watched. The blocking up front (and by the running backs) was pretty abysmal. Hopefully that improves this fall and aids in Sanders taking a big step forward.

He reminds me of: Geno Smith coming out of West Virginia. Like Smith during his time with the Mountaineers, Sanders plays in a wide-open college offense that showcases his polish as a passer. Both Smith and Sanders have beautiful throwing motions and deliver a firm/catchable ball. While each is capable of taking the free yards presented in the run game, neither is dynamic as a ball-carrier.

Following a long, rocky start to this NFL career, Smith blossomed into a Pro Bowl quarterback. I see similar upside in Sanders. As my Move The Sticks Podcast partner Bucky Brooks would say, both of these signal-callers are more shooters than scorers. They are point guards who play really well within the confines of the play call; they aren’t unscripted, creative playmaker types. It’ll be important for Sanders’ NFL team to realize how to best utilize his skill set.

I can’t wait to watch him play: at Nebraska on Sept. 7. I expect the Cornhuskers to be much improved in Year 2 under Matt Rhule. This game will be a good test to observe what these two programs look like in the second season of a rebuild. I’m really curious to see what the new Colorado offensive line looks like. Can you completely overhaul that group and find early success? We’ll find out.