Polarizing. Weak arm. Low ceiling.
When did Shedeur Sanders become Bo Nix?
Looks like the draft experts will be wrong again. They piled on Nix like he was a fumble, insisting he would never succeed in the NFL. He was a game manager, his renaissance in Oregon the result of completions behind the line of scrimmage.
All Nix did was throw 29 touchdown passes and debunk myths. Sanders will follow suit. Despite the criticism, there is no reason to believe his stock is falling as some insist. There are too many quarterback-needy teams, and he is too good.
The biggest question about Sanders centers on sacks. He was dropped 94 times in two seasons at CU. Were those bad habits or bad decisions? The latter can be fixed with a timing offense and better protection.
Sanders’ lack of mobility helps him in this regard. Unlike Chicago’s Caleb Williams, who looks to run at the first hint of danger, Sanders is more apt to stay in the pocket. His greatest strength is the ability to process what he sees quickly.
This doesn’t mean Sanders will be a star in the NFL. So much of a first-round quarterback’s future depends on his destination because, outside of Andrew Luck, he cannot overcome bad instruction and organizational dysfunction. If he lands with the Browns or Giants — both have offense-minded head coaches — overcoming their recent history will prove challenging. But it’s not like he hasn’t revived programs at Jackson State and CU before.
When the Broncos held a private workout last March for Nix they left convinced. Something similar will play out for Sanders. His social media presence and watch flex celebrations overshadow his football IQ and accuracy. His skill set is not elite, but he has special traits.
For Sanders, it will be a good thing to be the next Nix.
**Portal is open:** For all the lamenting of players leaving, remember coaches started this. Darian DeVries will be coaching his third school in three years as the new Indiana boss. He left West Virginia after one season, and his son Tucker, if he gets a medical redshirt, will follow him. College basketball is changing, becoming a pro sport. Players are simply watching coaches and following suit. Deal with it.
**Ownership matters:** The Broncos owners as cash cows matter. Signing players to extensions — Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto and Courtland Sutton are strong candidates — requires money on hand to pay signing bonuses and guaranteed money over the first few years of a new contract. The Walton-Penner group can do that. Keep this in mind if/when deals get done before the draft.
**Rodgers a Steeler?** Nix’s arrival in Denver has spared us all the sad reality show of veteran quarterbacks trying to find new homes. Aaron Rodgers might become a Steeler. Coach Mike Tomlin insists, “The standard is the standard.” Does he realize Rodgers is 11-19 with 46 touchdown passes and 24 turnovers in his last 30 games? Then again, the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016, so he should fit right in.
**Final Thought:** Can ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith just stop talking about Bronny James? Or at least press pause so we can order neck braces to wear for the whiplash?
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