Colorado Buffaloes' Shedeur Sanders, Jared Goff Surprising NFL Comparison

The 2025 NFL Draft is just a week away. As final big boards are coming in, former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is being placed all over the boards with some incredibly positive reviews and some shockingly negative assessments. In a recent ESPN release, Sanders finds himself ranked 25th overall on their big board, marking him as a selection worthy of a first-round draft pick.

Sanders' limited athleticism and arm strength are the major hang-ups preventing him from being ranked higher due to the presumed lack of upside with his natural traits.

However, Sanders is being compared to another quarterback with similar physical tools. Shedeur was compared to the Pro Bowl quarterback of the Detroit Lions, Jared Goff. Goff was selected No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Rams and led the team to a Super Bowl appearance before leading the Detroit Lions to a franchise-best season and an NFC Championship appearance.

Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) runs drills at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images | Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

“With pinpoint accuracy, toughness in the pocket and field vision that allows him to make plays to every level of the field, Sanders leveled up to become one of the top QBs in this class. He turned the ball over more in 2024 (10 INTs) but played with better pocket poise and timing. He completed 74% of his passes and was second in the FBS in touchdown passes (37),” an ESPN analyst said.

“Sanders has some bad habits he needs to clean up, such as throwing late over the middle and holding onto the ball for too long. That will ultimately determine his NFL success, but his accuracy and ability to make off-platform plays from different arm angles are likely to get him drafted early in the first round.”

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Some may view the Goff comparison as a slight, but that would be misguided. Goff is one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the National Football League and has the statistics to back it up. Goff is a four-time Pro Bowl player with over 35,000 career passing yards and 222 passing touchdowns to only 94 interceptions throughout his nine-year career. Goff may not be the most physically gifted athlete, but he makes up for it with accuracy and cerebral playmaking.

Sanders’s skillset and ability are built in the same vein, and should he have a career as productive as Goff’s, it would be a fantastic outcome for the former Colorado All-American. Goff is only 30 years old and figures to have a long time left in the league. Depending on where Shedeur Sanders lands, there could be many Sanders-Goff battles on the field of play. It would be interesting to watch quarterbacks with so much in common duel against opposing defenses.

From left, Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell (58), quarterback Jared Goff (16) and offensive tackle Taylor Decker (68), ready to take the field against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

All in all, pundits and fans underrate both Sanders and Goff at times, but it has been proven time and time again that players who can deliver the ball accurately and on time have a place in the NFL. Both guys operate in capacity at a high level.

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