Shedeur Sanders chooses Lamar Jackson's speed over Patrick Mahomes' football IQ: "I definitely have a long way to go"

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was back in the groove during the Buffaloes' Week 3 28-9 win against their Rocky Mountain rivals, the Colorado State Rams. Next up for Shedeur is his team's Big 12 opener against the Baylor Bears.

Off the gridiron during an interview on the "Uninterrupted" podcast, the quarterback played a game of "would you rather" in which he chose between various hypothetical situations from NFL players.

"Would you rather have Patrick Mahomes' IQ or Lamar Jackson's speed? I would rather have Lamar Jackson's speed because I think my IQ is up there. I definitely have a long way to go but I feel like my IQ is there," Sanders said.

Shedeur Sanders tipped to be NFL Draft No. 1 pick

Shedeur Sanders has started the 2024 college football season much like he did the last, putting up big numbers. In the FBS, he entered the week No. 4 in passing yards (999), fourth in touchdown passes (9), and No. 1 in completions (85).

His father, Deion Sanders, has repeatedly spoken about Shedeur's anticipated NFL journey and hyped him up as one of the best prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class.

During an episode of ESPN's "First Draft," draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. hyped up Shedeur's chances of being the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tied with Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck and Texas Longhorns signal-caller Quinn Ewers (2:20).

"I think he can be the guy, and I really believe this, he still could be QB1 (in the 2025 draft)," Kiper said. "Right now, it's a three-horse race (with Georgia's Carson Beck and Texas' Quinn Ewers). Maybe Cam Ward from Miami gets in there. We'll see."

Kiper referenced the Colorado quarterback's sensational performance against the Colorado State Rams as the baseline for the package that Shedeur Sanders offers.

"We saw Shedeur last week against Colorado State get back to the Shedeur that I've loved all along," Kiper said. "Now he did have some hiccups in that game, some layups that he missed, some throws that should've been routine he misfired on. But overall, when Shedeur has a fighting chance, he can really dissect a defense, get you down the field, move the football and he doesn't make mistakes that often."

Shedeur Sanders has a bigger platform in the Big 12 to show what he can do before the 2025 NFL Draft and he has the chance to be the first quarterback off the board if he continues his consistent performances.