"Lower case CJ Stroud type" - Greg Cosell drops eye-catching comment on Shedeur Sanders during 2025 NFL combine

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has stuck to taking meetings with various NFL teams at the scouting combine in Indianapolis after he confirmed that he would not be throwing at the event. On Tuesday, Sanders' main rival for the class of 2025 QB1, Miami's Cam Ward, also confirmed that he would not work out at the Lucas Oil Stadium.

The duo joined several past No. 1 picks who did not work out during the combine, including Joe Burrow, Bryce Young and Caleb Williams, which did not affect their draft prospects.

During a Thursday interview with ChatSport's Marshall Green, legendary NFL analyst Greg Cosell, who has been critical of Sanders' potential before, dropped another eye-catching comment about his NFL ceiling, unflatteringly comparing him to Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud.

"He's a different kind of player," Cosell said (0:35). "He needs his team around him. He's a pocket quarterback. And in the NFL, guys who are kind of pure pocket quarterbacks have to be super high level at everything, pre-snap, post-snap. They need the team, they need to be protected. He's a lowercase CJ Stroud type. He's not as good as Stroud, doesn't throw it as well. He's a ball distributor, he's a point guard."

Shedeur Sanders optimistic about NFL future

Shedeur Sanders has divided opinion over his draft status and NFL readiness more than almost any prospect in recent memory, partly due to his undeniable talent and partly due to his charismatic father, Deion Sanders, and the media spotlight that he courts.

While speaking to reporters at the NFL combine on Friday, the confident quarterback had a message for NFL teams ahead of the draft.

“That’s the plan,” Sanders said. “If that’s not what you’re trying to do, don’t get me. If you ain’t trying to change the franchise or the culture, don’t get me. You should know that history repeats itself over and over and over. I’ve done it over and over and over, so it should be no question why an NFL franchise should pick me.”

The race to be the first quarterback off the board has been boiled down to one between Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. Despite his fluctuating mock draft fortunes, the Buffs quarterback revealed his nonchalance at the situation over where he will get picked on draft night.

“The number where you go don’t matter,” Sanders said. “I reference Tom Brady, because he is the best of the best in all categories. He ain’t go first. So, the number you get picked don’t matter. I wasn’t the top-rated quarterback coming out of high school because there a lot of things that people will like and don’t like about me.”

Last month, Shedeur Sanders revealed that he won't attend the 2025 NFL draft and would instead take in the showcase event while surrounded by family and friends. Even as draft night approaches, the confident quarterback's status still hangs in the balance.