Daniel Jeremiah: Shedeur Sanders' playing style is similar to Geno Smith
As Shedeur Sanders gets ready for his second season at Colorado, his NFL Draft stock will be worth watching. The son of Deion Sanders put together multiple highlight-reel plays in his first year in Boulder and will look to build on that performance in 2024 with hopes of becoming a first-round pick.
According to NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, Sanders’ game is similar to a quarterback who played in the Pro Bowl last season. He sees some Geno Smith in the Colorado signal-caller.
Sanders battled through some adversity last season as the Buffs’ offensive line struggled mightily. Still, he threw for 3,320 yards, 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 11 games under center. But his accuracy is also drawing scouts’ attention after completing 69.3% of his passes a season ago, and that’s where Jeremiah said Sanders and Smith are perhaps most similar.
“Like Smith during his time with the Mountaineers, Sanders plays in a wide-open college offense that showcases his polish as a passer,” Jeremiah wrote. “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.”
While starring at West Virginia from 2009-12, Smith showcased his accuracy. As a senior, he completed 71.4% of his passes for 4,205 yards and 42 touchdowns. That helped him become a second-round pick when the New York Jets selected him No. 39 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.
It wasn’t an easy road for Smith in the NFL, though. After starting 29 of the first 30 games of his career, he struggled and bounced around. He spent time with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before latching on with the Seattle Seahawks.
Smith took a huge leap forward in Seattle, setting as new career-high with 4,282 yards in 2022. He made his first-ever Pro Bowl that season and went back to Las Vegas this past year, as well.
Shedeur Sanders is already generating some buzz as a potential Top-10 pick. In ESPN analyst Matt Miller’s early mock draft this week, he predicted Sanders to go in No. 9 overall. His NFL hopes will be worth monitoring with Travis Hunter back to anchor the receiving corps as Colorado takes on the Big 12.