Three 2025 NFL Draft prospects to watch from Colorado

Has a 4-8 team ever received more media coverage than the 2023 Colorado Buffaloes?

Last season, millions of eyeballs focused on the Buffs, who pulled off early upsets and featured the big personality of head coach Deion Sanders and the two-way exploits of Travis Hunter.

What largely got lost in the shuffle is that Colorado made major improvements over the 1-11 season from 2022 against a tougher schedule. As controversial as Sanders' methods might be, he's beginning to get results.

Next, we'll see how his players pan out in the NFL.

Here are the best three Colorado prospects to watch ahead of the NFL Draft, which begins April 24, 2025:

Travis Hunter | cornerback/wide receiver

ESPN's Matt Miller on Hunter : "A throwback, do-it-all football player."

Prospect ranking: Pro Football Focus (No. 10), Tankathon (No. 5), Pro Football Network (No. 4)

The biggest question with Hunter (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) is what role he'll have in the NFL.

When breaking down most draft boards to positional rankings, he grades highly as a cornerback and a wide receiver. But when he hits the NFL, don't expect him to have as many snaps at both positions as he does in college (more than 100 per game sometimes).

There's no doubting Hunter's ability on offense (57 receptions, 721 yards in just nine games in 2023), but his ability to endure the physicality of the NFL and play in both phases is open to question. Expect him to be used primarily as a defensive back in the league and take occasional snaps on offense, as his head coach did in his NFL playing days.

As a corner, Hunter is one of the best in college, with good length and ridiculous athleticism that allow him to hang with almost any receiver in the country. (Except Stanford's Elic Ayomanor, who burned Colorado and Hunter for 294 yards receiving and three TDs last season.)

It's impossible to project how high he'll be picked given the strength of the 2025 cornerback class, which should include Michigan's Will Johnson, Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison and Ohio State's Denzel Burke. But the extra boost provided by his offensive and special-teams potential could lift Hunter into the top 10.

Shedeur Sanders | quarterback

ESPN's Matt Miller on Sanders : "Accuracy, toughness and poise."

Prospect ranking: Pro Football Focus (No. 35), Tankathon (No. 8), Pro Football Network (No. 55)

Shedeur, Deion's son, put up crazy numbers early last season (510 yards passing against TCU, 393 against Nebraska), but holes showed up in his game.

Shedeur Sanders (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) had a tendency to hold onto the ball too long last season, despite the weakness of Colorado's offensive line. However, he didn't make an inordinate number of mistakes (27 TD passes, three interceptions) and has a strong arm.

"Sanders is an advanced processor who earned the country's third-best clean pocket passing grade (92.9) this past season," per Pro Football Focus . "The only two who posted better marks were the first two picks in 2024: Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels."

Will Sheppard | wide receiver

Pro Football Network's Ian Cummings on Sheppard : "Streamlined route-running ability."

Prospect ranking: Pro Football Focus (No. 126), Tankathon (unranked), Pro Football Network (No. 56)

Sheppard (6-foot-3, 198 pounds), a transfer from Vanderbilt, hasn't received the same share of the spotlight as his teammates above, but with his first season in Boulder coming up, he could make a name for himself soon.

At Vanderbilt, he was a consistent producer over three seasons (2,037 yards receiving, 21 TD passes), excellent numbers in the SEC.

Instead of showcasing straight-line speed, Sheppard shines with quickness and suddenness. He's an instinctive receiver who does a great job finding space. He should be a great No. 1 option for Sanders  when Hunter isn't playing.

In Colorado's first season in the Big 12 — a conference that doesn't feature great defenses, as the SEC does — Sheppard's numbers should rise. Based on current prospect rankings, he's viewed as a Day 2 or Day 3 pick.