NFL Draft Insider compares Shedeur Sanders' Oregon setback to Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman, Josh Allen's as college QB

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders had his first real tough game last week in the 42-6 loss to the Oregon Ducks. He went 23-of-33 for 159 yards with a touchdown pass and was sacked seven times in the loss.

Some are viewing this game as a step back for Sanders, but not Mel Kiper Jr., who noted how some of the great quarterbacks had poor outings against certain teams in college football.

The ESPN analyst compared Shedeur Sanders' performance to other players at the position who struggled against specific teams:

"I say none. Peyton Manning, when he played at Tennessee. Great quarterback, went up against the Florida Gators three times. Went 0-3. Lost to Danny Wuerffel twice and Doug Johnson.

"Think about the crosstown rivalry - UCLA and USC. Troy Aikman against Rodney Pete. Troy was 0-2 against Rodney Pete. Rodney Pete won both of those games."

Kiper also discussed some more recent quarterbacks who have had similar struggles, eventually drawing the conclusion that the Buffaloes are just not as talented a roster.

"Think about when Ben Roethlisberger was at Miami of Ohio, and he had to go to Iowa - didn't go so well. How about when Josh Allen had to go to Iowa?

"That's the big evaluation game for Josh Allen. His team was outmanned, just like Shedeur Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes were outmanned." H/t On3

While the stat line is not what we have gotten used to since Sanders joined Colorado, it makes sense with the constant pressure he has faced.

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Where does Shedeur Sanders rank in terms of NFL draft prospects?

Despite Deion Sanders saying that Shedeur Sanders is staying in college football for another season, that's far from a guarantee. Instead, Shedeur has a shot to be a high overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The first quarterback off the board is going to be USC's Caleb Williams, as he's the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and continues to be a star. Next, the belief is that North Carolina's Drake Maye will be the second quarterback off the board. Sanders has the chance to be the third quarterback taken and even has a shot to eclipse Maye on a lot of draft boards.

Sanders has a great process and is extremely accurate with the football. He's going to make sure tht the ball does not get turned over and has accuracy. Sanders is a first-round pick if he declares for the draft, but the thought process is that he could be the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft if he returns to the Buffaloes for another season.