NFL draft guru: Shedeur Sanders below Bo Nix in his evaluation

Shedeur Sanders is a cinch to be one of the first two quarterbacks off the board.

But would have been one of the first six passers taken in last year’s stacked NFL Draft quarterback class? For that, there is plenty of debate, as QB1 or QB2 this year do not stack up to where things stood 12 months ago, when the draft’s depth of quarterbacks and the Broncos’ dire need aligned for them to find someone in Bo Nix who may well be their long-term answer.

“I always tend to be a little bit more ‘let’s chase the upside a little bit when we’re up there,'” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said this week during an expansive conference call with media.

And that doesn’t favor Sanders in the equation.

“When you look at this group compared to last year … I had Cam Ward with the same grade as Bo Nix, so that would put [Sanders] behind the top four for me, so he would be in the fifth range,” Jeremiah said.

The longtime NFL Network analyst’s QB order last year went like this:

• Caleb Willams
• Drake Maye
• Jayden Daniels
• J.J. McCarthy
• Bo Nix
• Michael Penix Jr.

“Then I would have Shedeur right behind that group,” Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah has Ward going No. 2 in his mock draft to Cleveland, with Sanders going No. 6 to Las Vegas.

From the Broncos’ perspective, consider this: Sanders might have been QB7 in last year’s draft. And he could go at least 6 picks higher — perhaps even more when the draft finally takes place. It seems even more apparent now that the Broncos pounced at the right time.

AND AS FOR SHEDEUR SANDERS …

Daniel Jeremiah pointed to some extrinsic factors as to why he had Cam Ward ahead of Shedeur Sanders — including “wind and weather.”

“I like Shedeur,” Jeremiah said. “I think Shedeur is — when you look at the things he does really well, the accuracy, anticipation, toughness, he just keeps getting up after taking a beating, but some of the other things that Cam has, he doesn’t have, which is just a little bit more twitch in his body. He has a more live arm.”

Jeremiah also discussed having Sanders go four picks after Cam Ward of Miami (Fla.) in his recent mock draft, which had Ward headed to Cleveland with the No. 2 overall pick. Sanders went off Jeremiah’s mock at No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders — one spot after the New York Giants, a team widely reported to share mutual interest with him.

Why did Jeremiah have the both the Browns and Giants passing on Sanders — with New York opting for Heisman Trophy winner and Buffs teammate Travis Hunter? The weather played a role.

“You’re going to play in wind and weather as you go throughout the season. Arm strength matters a little bit more there,” Sanders said. “Look, I’m not saying that Shedeur can’t play there. He could fit in the system for sure. If they went in that direction, that wouldn’t totally blindside me or shock me.

“I just know from being in that division and talking to people inside that division, that’s something that carries a little more weight than maybe in other spots.”

Ward does have bad-weather experience, having transferred to Miami from Washington State for two seasons after beginning his college journey at Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

Further …

“He just has a real, real live arm,” Jeremiah said.

And in that analyst’s eyes, it’s more live than that of Shedeur Sanders.