NFL Draft expert compares Shedeur Sanders to Caleb Williams, and not in a good way

With less than a month before the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off, draft analysts are starting to put together their final grades for the top prospects. They're also putting their finishing touches on player comps.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, widely expected to be drafted within the first three selections, earned one of those player comps from NFL Draft expert Todd McShay, who suggested the Colorado star reminded him of Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams.Unfortunately for him, and for Bears fans, it was not a kind one.

Unfortunately for Sanders and Bears fans, it wasn't a compliment.

"Caleb Williams is the one that scares people, because as a rookie, all the stuff that we were worried about and the people who were coming out and saying 'I'm not sold on Caleb,' it's the hero ball, it's the holding onto the ball too long, drifting, not taking the easy money, going for broke," McShay said. "And I see a lot of that in Sheduer's tape. Now, is it because of the protection? Or is it because that's how he plays ball?"

Ouch. That's a scathing indictment of Caleb Williams' rookie season, but not entirely unfair. Williams took a league-leading 68 sacks as a rookie, and a good number of them were his own fault.

However, careers are not defined by one season. While Williams does take some blame for the issues Chicago's offense suffered last season, there was more than enough blame to go around. The offensive line was an inconsistent disaster, and the coaching staff was in disarray from the moment the Washington Commanders completed their Hail Mary pass.

That all will change in 2025. GM Ryan Poles hired Ben Johnson, one of the most sought after head coaching candidates in years, to lead the Bears. Poles also invested heavily in the offensive line in free agency and can continue to build that unit up through the draft, if he chooses.

Hope is running high for Bears fans that 2025 will be a breakout season for Williams, and maybe it will be. However, with the season still several months away, critics of Williams will continue until he proves otherwise.

As for Sanders? Well, he can take it as a complement that he's being compared to a former Heisman winner and NFL quarterback who set several franchise rookie records despite a tumultuous season. If he lands with a team that takes his protection as seriously as Poles and the Bears have with Williams, he has a chance to be a real star.

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