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Mel Kiper pegs Shedeur Sanders as biggest mover on NFL Draft boards through Week 2

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly09/11/23

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Shedeur Sanders
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been lights out through the first two weeks of the season.

Sanders has already worked his way into the Heisman conversation and appears on his way to being a high draft pick, too.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. appeared on Monday Blitz Monday afternoon and shared that Sanders is quickly moving up NFL draft boards.

Kiper currently has Sanders as his No. 3 quarterback for the 2024 NFL draft, behind only USC quarterback Caleb Williams and North Carolina signal caller Drake Maye. Kiper wasn’t sure what to expect from Sanders at Colorado, but he has been blown away by what he has seen thus far.

“It was a wait-and-see, coming from Jackson State to Colorado, how would Shedeur Sanders, how would his team adapt, how would they perform? They’ve been unbelievable,” Kiper said.

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“Shedeur Sanders, to me right now, is a guaranteed high first-round pick. I think when you look at the way he’s played at Colorado, in this Sean Lewis offense, the accuracy has been unbelievable. He was at 68 percent at Jackson State those two years. He’s at 77.5 [percent at Colorado]. Hasn’t thrown an interception. He had nine rushing touchdowns in two years at Jackson State. He can roll right or left. He can make accurate throws. He throws a great ball. He’s unflappable. He looks like he’s in control at all times. You don’t know if they’re up or down, how they’re performing. It doesn’t matter.”

Through the first two games of the season, Sanders has thrown for 903 yards and six touchdowns, without tossing an interception. He’s averaging more than 450 passing yards per game and is a big reason why Colorado is 2-0 to start the year, with wins over TCU and Nebraska.

If Sanders comes back for his senior season, Kiper expects his draft stock to continue to rise.

“If he stays at Colorado, we’ll be talking about him next summer like we’re talking about Caleb Williams right now – No. 1 pick guaranteed,” Kiper said. “So he’s got a decision to make. We’ve gotta be excited with everything we’ve seen right now, with not only this football team, but particularly Shedeur Sanders. What a quarterback he is.”

Sanders and Colorado will face Williams and USC on Sept. 30 in what will be a must-see TV game.

In addition to Williams, Maye and Sanders, Kiper also has Quinn Ewers at 4, Riley Leonard at 5, Bo Nix at 6 and J.J. McCarthy at 7 on his big board.