As the pre-draft process continues, Shedeur Sanders remains in the spotlight…for some good reasons, to be sure, but also because of doubts that continue to pop up around the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback.

Sanders‘ attitude has been called into question, especially as he refused to participate in Scouting Combine drills, an important step for evaluators to get a look at the draft’s most promising prospects. Sanders would counter that he attempted more than 900 passes over the past two seasons at Colorado, film that would be much more useful to scouts and execs interested in selecting him as their franchise QB.

Shedeur has to find more comfort in the pocket, says Kurt Warner

Cautioning that he is not an NFL Draft expert, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner told fellow former signal-caller and college football analyst Joel Klatt that Sanders appears to be missing one big thing from his toolbox that will need to be added in order to ensure NFL success.

“I felt in the last four games that Shedeur was very uneasy in the pocket,” Warner told Klatt in reference to the end of Colorado’s 2024 season. “Very seldom did I see him strong in the pocket and get back and set and read and deliver the ball. It was almost like he was always uneasy back there.”

During his Super Bowl-winning career, Warner often played behind suspect offensive lines, which required him to make outrageous throws and play-extending decisions to give himself a shot at success. Sanders‘ protection similarly did not always hold up throughout his two seasons at Colorado — and a team taking Sanders early in the draft is unlikely to have a solid foundation in the trenches that would help keep the prized prospect upright.

All that being said, Warner does think that Sanders has the best touch and ball placement among any of this year’s draft-eligible field generals. For those reasons, it’s still possible that the 23-year-old finds himself a top-10 — perhaps even top-five — pick next month in Green Bay.

“I will agree that Shedeur may throw the best ball,” Warner said. “And what I mean by that is the most catchable, the most accurate ball of all of these guys. I love that he can place the ball. He’s got great touch. I think he throws a really good deep ball.”