"It's like you're hating" - Ex-NFL QB gets candid on problems in correctly evaluating Shedeur Sanders

Former NFL quarterback Shaun King pointed out the most crucial aspect of judging Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading up to the 2025 NFL draft. He indicated that any criticism directed at Sanders is likely misread as bias.

King played in the NFL from 1999 to 2004, mostly with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has since developed into a football analyst.

The ex-quarterback said this during an appearance on "Ross Tucker Podcast" on Saturday:

"Shedeur is extremely accomplished: won a lot at Jackson State, won a lot at Colorado. The problem with Shedeur is, if you don't think he's a top-10 pick, it's like you're hating. And the one thing that you know I do is I simply evaluate the film, and I have a late-first, early-second round," said King.

Shedeur Sanders' draft stock has fluctuated significantly. According to various analysts and mock drafts published in early April, projections range from a top-five pick to a day-two selection.

Shedeur Sanders keeps on creating divisive opinions

NCAA Football: Colorado NFL Showcase - Source: Imagn

Shaun King praised Shedeur Sanders for his mental fortitude:

"The one thing that really jumps off the page is, he's extremely mentally and physically tough. Ruin him emotionally and mentally early in his career. Like, if he doesn't have early success, he's not gonna go in the tank. Like, he's the kind of kid that's resourceful," said King.

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky called Sanders "the hardest quarterback I've had to evaluate since I've gotten into TV" on the April 4 edition of "Get Up." Orlovsky explained that only about 25% of Shedeur Sanders' snaps provided meaningful evaluation material.

"Half of the snaps that he had at Colorado were thrown inside of five yards. It feels like when you watch his tape, every ball is thrown at the line of scrimmage," Orlovsky noted.

He also mentioned that poor offensive line play made another 25% of snaps unusable for evaluation.

Nonetheless, the New York Giants, holding the No. 3 pick, sent numerous staff members to Colorado's pro day on April 4 to check out Sanders.