Former Jets scout gives harsh reality check to Shedeur Sanders as he gears up for life in the NFL

Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders is projected to be a top-five pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Alongside Miami's Cam Ward, he is viewed as one of the two best QB prospects. Different mock drafts have different opinions on which QB will be drafted first, but they are almost always listed as the two best QBs.

However, not everyone is on board with Shedeur Sanders as a high-level prospect. Most notably, former New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly criticized Sanders in recent months. He has broken down film, explaining why he does not think Sanders' talent will translate to the NFL level.

On Friday, Kelly hopped on X again to put Sanders' college numbers in context:

"Shedeur Sanders needs to be put into context. His numbers need to be understood. Throwing up stats against a soft college schedule against many defensive backs who will never play in the NFL is not the same thing as success in the NFL.

"People get star struck by the 2024 stats —4,134 yards, 74.0% completion percentage, 37 TD and 10 interceptions—without ever asking themselves who did his team play and who were the defensive backs he was throwing against?"

It is not hard to see where Kelly is coming from when you look at Sanders' game log from 2024. His Colorado Buffaloes only played against two teams that were ranked within the AP Top 25 at the time they played.

They played the No. 18-ranked Kansas City Wildcats on Oct. 12, losing 31-28. Sanders completed 34-of-40 passing attempts for 388 yards and three TDs that game.

Then in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, the Buffaloes played the No. 17-ranked BYU Cougars. They lost the game 36-14 while Sanders completed 16-of-23 passing attempts for 208 yards and two TDs. In those two games, Sanders threw three interceptions and was sacked 10 times.

Sacks were an issue for Shedeur Sanders this past season

Looking at Shedeur Sanders' stats a little closer, it is hard to ignore some of the red flags. Most notably, Sanders was one of the most-sacked QBs in Division I football last season.

Not only did Sanders get sacked 10 times in two games against ranked opponents, but he was sacked a total of 42 times throughout the year. He also threw 10 interceptions. Sanders struggled to make good decisions when under pressure, often trying to extend the play and taking sacks for big yardage losses as a result.