“Watch what he played with” - Colin Cowherd hypes up Shedeur Sanders by taking Brock Purdy’s Iowa State career as example

Colin Cowherd's latest opinion of Shedeur Sanders implies that NFL general managers underestimate the Colorado quarterback.

Cowherd, host of The Herd with Colin Cowherd," likened Sanders to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on his Thursday episode.

During the show, Cowherd specifically highlighted Sanders's ability to produce despite minimal support from his offensive line and running game at Colorado:

"This is precisely why I like Shedeur Sanders in the NFL draft more than NFL GMs. No run game, worst in power five football last two years, no offensive line, but Shedeur Sanders had to initiate his own offense and was pretty productive. Did Brock Purdy have a great arm? Because I hear Shedeur Sanders didn't have a great arm. Does Brock Purdy?... He's at least as athletic as Brock Purdy. They both process. Well, they're both accurate."

Sanders finished his 2024 Colorado year with 4,134 passing yards, a school-record 37 touchdowns and 74.0% completion percentage. For it, he was honored with the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year awards.

Shedeur Sanders thrived despite limited offensive support

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Cowherd added more about his feelings about Sanders:

"This is what I say about Shedeur Sanders, watch what he played with, not just who he played against. Not a lot of NFL O-Linemen or running backs at Colorado. So his college experience for Shedeur Sanders, it looks just like a lot of the Iowa State stuff. In fact, I'd argue Iowa State had better players than Colorado in some instances," Cowherd said.

According to CBS Sports's Thursday's scouting report, Sanders showed excellent pocket presence under pressure. The report notes he "reliably kept his eyes downfield and coolly maneuvered the pocket when pressured."

Advanced stats support Cowherd's assessment. Last year, Sanders completed 55.1% of his passes when pressured, the second-best among top quarterback prospects. His 8.7% touchdown rate under pressure led all prospects.

Purdy's career at Iowa State (2018-2021) has similar characteristics. He passed for 12,170 yards and 81 touchdowns and completed 67.7% of his passes.

In the 2018 game against Oklahoma State, he passed for 318 yards and four touchdowns and contributed 84 rushing yards.

According to the CBS scouting report, Sanders faces questions about his arm strength and tendency to hold the ball too long. However, his accuracy and ability to extend plays mirror Purdy's strengths.