Shedeur Sanders continues to be one of the most polarizing quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Sanders made a lot of noise at Colorado’s Pro Day, and among the criticisms that came with it, former NFL QB and now analyst Chris Simms stepped up to the plate to make a steady comment regarding the situation.
He defended Sanders against all the nasty comments about his “ball-patting” mechanics while he also placed a candid assessment about his value in the draft.
In a thorough breakdown, Simms placed critical emphasis on the process’s behind-the-scenes politics and why the all-around good quarterback would not be as strong a top-five lock as some might think.
Chris Simms Says Shedeur Sanders Lacks Elite Traits
Simms applied that technique to what is perhaps his most controversial pro day and draft evaluation: misinformation, like almost every other NFL scout and executive.
He learned from former Titans GM Jon Robinson that “the scouts overhype those they do not want” and “downplay those they do.”
“Let them talk, join in, lead them in the wrong direction,” Simms said.
He says this subtlety may be happening in the quiet or ambiguous feedback surrounding Sanders. If the teams are genuinely into players, they’re not going to talk about them to attract attention; rather, it’s the silence of calculated shunning that could result from not mounting an aggressive defense against criticism.
When it came to raw evaluation, Simms didn’t sugarcoat it. He does praise Sanders’ consistency and decision-making, along with great mechanics, but he told the world without beating around the bush that Sanders has no elite-defining trait.
“There’s no wow trait to really latch on to,” he said. “He’s just good at everything.”
That translates to Sanders being a solid, reliable quarterback, someone you build around but not necessarily an individual who will fix a franchise. Not surprisingly, Simms compares the situation with overvalued picks of the past, like Blaine Gabbert, to remind fans and execs that draft hype can easily be ahead of actual performance on the field.
With no offense meant, Simms still saw Sanders as deserving of a first-round selection but not at the top.
KEEP READING: Shedeur Sanders Scouted: Colin Cowherd & Joe Milton Analyze His Game Amidst Draft Controversy
“I wouldn’t want to take him in the 20s,” he said, firmly positioning Sanders in that late first-round range.
He even threw in how teams like the New York Giants brought an entire entourage to see Sanders throw, a sure indication of real league interest.
But Simms warned that presence shouldn’t be taken as meaning top-10 status. Solid can get overdrafted in today’s QB-thirsty league, but it can also get overlooked if a player doesn’t “wow” on tape. For Sanders, the road to draft night may be more measured in respect than reality show obsession.
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