CHARLOTTE — Shedeur Sanders is supremely confident. Which, given who his father is, should not be surprising. Yet it still stands in contrast to some of his fellow draft classmates. He didn't posses effusive thankfulness for the chance to be at the NFL combine, because he earned the right to be there through his play. He didn't back down from the bright lights of Colorado's pro day, because he demanded the attention.
"If you ain't trying to change the franchise or the culture, don't get me," Sanders told reporters of his message to teams at this years combine.
Sanders started his career at Jackson State playing under his dad, Deion "Prime Time" Sanders. When the Hall of Fame father got the job at Colorado, his son and others followed. By the end of the 2024 season, the Buffs had put together a 9-4 season—something the team hadn't done since 2016—and Sanders had racked up the fourth most passing yards in FBS with 4,134 total. He also had the best completion percentage, 74 percent, of any quarterback in college football.
"I tried everybody's way, I tried every different style, every different way, so I know what works for me and what makes me play my best," Sanders preached. And as teams evaluate his product and what the promise could be, he feels the results should speak for themselves.
"I've done it at two locations already, so it's simple. So that's why, when people say I'm not one of the top quarterbacks or the top quarterback, it's—what are y'all going based off of? Because I did it year; year after year after year, and you see the progression. So obviously, it's got to be some type of external hate that you have for the family, for the last name, for anything. Because I know I proved myself on the field."
It's a brashness that some general managers will love, others will hedge, but it can't be ignored. For those that remember Deion in his prime, it will seem familiar. The younger Sanders understands his style might not work for everyone, but isn't worried about those who don't jive with the attitude. He's known no different.
"You think I'm worried about what critics say or what people got to say?" Sanders posed. "You know who my dad is? They hated on him too. So it's almost normal. Without people hating, it's not normal for us. So we like the adversity. We like everything that comes with the name. That's why we are who we are."
As for what kind of quarterback Sanders will be in the league, that remains to be seen. There are parts of his tape to laud, and parts to pick apart. He's aware there were too many times the Buffs didn't turn things up till the end of the game and that can't fly in the NFL.
"I realized, OK, going to the next level, I've got to find myself early," Sanders explained. "I got to get ready mentally early because I know early on, some games I wasn't taking the completions coach was calling. Sometimes I was trying to make too much happen.
"So that just comes from a mindset of do or die mentality, to where you're going to succeed and not succeed. And sometimes I got caught up playing hero ball, but I understand where I messed up and now I'm going to fix it at the next level."
It's an ownership and mindset that, when coupled with his talent and swag, Shedeur Sanders feels makes him the best quarterback in the draft. He's supremely confident though, so no one should expect anything less.
"Of course," Sanders said when asked if he was the top QB. "Now the thing is I respect a lot of quarterbacks here. They put a lot of hard work in to get to this point. So it's kudos to them. It's truly respect. But I know what I bring to the table."
