Legendary NFL Draft expert reveals why he dropped Shedeur Sanders in rankings after Nebraska loss

Colorado quarterback is among the nation's top statistical passers and is arguably the top signal-caller in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, due to their brash ways, the Colorado Buffaloes are a lightning rod for attention and criticism. Some of it has been earned, while some of the silliness gets hyperbolic.

However, what happens on the field matters. While Sanders has thrown for 999 yards and nine touchdowns with a 70.2 percent completion rate, there's room for evaluators to find concerning flaws. ESPN legend Mel Kiper Jr. revealed his issues with Sanders after the team's Week 2 loss against Nebraska.

Mel Kiper Jr. Shares Insights on Shedeur Sanders

ESPN asked each of their top NFL draft analysts about whether their evaluation of Sanders has changed this season, and the answers were mostly benign. I'd agree that, if anything, Sanders has reaffirmed some of the bad but has looked sharp again despite playing with a bad team.

Kiper, though, has dropped Sanders in his most recent Big Board rankings. Here's what he said:

I am lowering my grade on Sanders a little bit based on what we saw in that Nebraska game. I know he took five sacks, and the offensive line didn't help him out, but you can't put all of that on his surroundings. He forced things in that Week 2 matchup, and I saw some uncharacteristic, missed layup throws. He has to be able to show he can avoid those hiccups when the situation isn't perfect.

That said, Sanders is still my third-ranked QB and could absolutely end up in the mix at the top of the board. When his mechanics and footwork are sound, he can pick apart a defense. It's easier to evaluate a quarterback when his team isn't overmatched, and the Buffs should be competitive the rest of the way. So maybe a slight knock in the early going for that rough Nebraska game -- I moved him from No. 9 to No. 14 on my Big Board -- but I'm not changing much until we see more.

Kiper didn't throw scalding water on Sanders, but he held him responsible for things Sanders himself evaded blame for. I was disappointed to see none of the panel actually talk about how Sanders blamed his line for allowing pressures post-game, which is my biggest overall concern with my QB1.

The rest of the panel offered a good analysis of what happened in the game but opted against dropping Sanders, which I think was the right call.

What do you think of Shedeur Sanders? Let me know in the comments!