“He needs the system to work for him”: CFB analyst highlights Shedeur Sanders’ weaknesses

Modified Mar 27, 2025 17:23 GMT

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Shedeur Sanders is one of the most polarizing players in the 2025 NFL draft; while some analysts widely praise his passing abilities and athleticism, others question his NFL readiness, questioning his arm strength and his ability to work with a team that doesn't revolve around him.

The quarterback flipped a team like Colorado, who had an overall record of 1-11 in 2022, to a 4-8 team in 2023, to finally a successful 9-4 season. However, Sanders had a questionable O-line, which led him being sacked over 50 times in 2023 alone.

Football analyst Greg Cosell discussed Sanders' strengths and weaknesses on Thursday's "Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show."

"He doesn't have a big arm," Cosell said. "He needs the system to work for him. There are certain things he needs to clean up. He and we know he didn't play behind a good offensive line. We all get that. But he has a really glaring tendency to retreat backwards when he feels pressure, which you cannot do in the NFL.

"He's a system player, and of course, all quarterbacks are but he needs, he will need a complete offense. He will need a run game. He'll need a good all line. He'll need good receivers... He needs the passing game schematics to work for him. But he's a very easy thrower. He does throw the ball well on the run, but he's not a creator. He's not going to make plays outside of structure."

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Former NFL WR explains why Cam Ward is better than Shedeur Sanders

While the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft isn't as clear as last year with Caleb Williams, many analysts consider Miami Hurricanes star Cam Ward a better player than Shedeur Sanders.

Talking about this on Tuesday's "The Facility," former Packers wide receiver offered insight into his thought process about the comparison.

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James Jones spoke about how there isn't much difference between the two; however, he believes Ward's anticipation skills about where he will go with the ball are better than the Colorado star.

About the author

Prasen is an NFL/College Sports analyst at Sportskeeda. A B.Tech/Civil Engineering graduate, he has two years of experience writing content.

For Prasen, providing historical angles relevant to the story is important, as it can give the reader useful information and help them relate it to the present. He thinks this keeps the content unique rather than just a bland reporting of facts. Prasen believes in fact-checking and researching relevant information as per the headline and context. He hates clickbait or misleading the reader.

A fan of the Colorado Buffaloes since Deion Sanders took over as coach, Prasen expects Coach Prime to make the Buffs a national championship contender. Nick Saban is his favorite all-time coach, while Baker Mayfield and Caitlin Clark are his favorite players. Prasen considers Vince Young coming up clutch for the Texas Longhorns in the dying seconds of the 2017 national championship game against the USC Trojans as the most iconic moment of all time.

Per Prasen, College Sports is competitive and garners attention but it is just the beginning, where a student-athlete can show their skills and potential to make it to the big leagues. When he is not researching and writing, Prasen’s hobbies include pursuing higher studies and playing sports.

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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos