Ex-NFL star fires off Shedeur Sanders warnings before career begins

Former Pittsburgh Steelers moving backmost Merril Hoge was up of astir pundits with his disapproval of Shedeur Sanders and his prediction for the erstwhile Colorado quarterback’s NFL future.

Sanders was projected to beryllium selected arsenic precocious arsenic No. 2 wide successful the NFL Draft, but his epic autumn to the 5th circular became the speech of the event. The Cleveland Browns yet made the determination to draught him adjacent aft picking backmost Dillon Gabriel earlier.

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Colorado Buffaloes backmost Shedeur Sanders, #2, prepares to walk the shot successful the 2nd fractional against the North Dakota State Bison astatine Folsom Field successful Boulder, Colorado, connected Aug. 29, 2024. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

Hoge shared his sentiment of Sanders days earlier the draught began successful an interrogation with WDVE successful Pittsburgh.

"I deliberation the champion mode to sum him up is, he's a truly bully assemblage quarterback," Hoge explained. "His accuracy is good, his processing is good. And erstwhile I accidental good, I usage a standard from 1 to 10, truthful bully is astir a five. So if you're a 5 successful college, OK? Those (accuracy and process) are the 2 astir important aspects of transitioning to the National Football League, and past you physique from there. Anticipation, pouch awareness, and past we commencement building, but those 2 things, if you're a five, you're not a first-rounder. You're not a franchise guy."

Furthermore, Hoge took contented with Sanders’ allegedly inflated numbers. The Buffaloes prima has the FBS all-time grounds for completion percent astatine 71.8%, but Hoge dismissed that arsenic Sanders threw a batch of bubble screens.

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Colorado Buffaloes backmost Shedeur Sanders, #2, celebrates aft defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils astatine Mountain America Stadium, location of the ASU Sun Devils. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

He did not judge utilizing those types of plays were going to construe successful the NFL. He said teams volition beryllium looking for the accomplishment sets that guys similar Joe Burrow, C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels have.

"He ain't adjacent close, helium ain't adjacent successful the ballpark. ... There's immoderate toughness to him I like, but however helium moves, helium ain't going to enactment fearfulness successful anybody," Hoge said, adding that teams should beryllium wary astir Sanders being capable to grip the expectations that travel on with being a first-round draught pick.

"He can't grip the expectations that are coming his way," helium added. "He's going to beryllium an epic failure, and he's going acceptable your enactment backmost different 2 oregon 3 years."

Those expectations subsided a small spot erstwhile helium fell to the 5th round. However, Sanders is successful a presumption to triumph the starting occupation successful campy arsenic it is not acceptable successful chromatic that Kenny Pickett oregon Joe Flacco volition beryllium QB1 erstwhile the play begins.

Gabriel is the all-time person successful touchdown passes astatine the FBS level, but adjacent helium was picked precocious successful the draft.

Colorado backmost Shedeur Sanders speaks during a property league astatine the NFL shot scouting harvester connected Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 successful Indianapolis. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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The spotlight is going to radiance agleam connected the Browns’ quarterbacks passim voluntary workouts and grooming camp.

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