2025 NFL Draft: ESPN’s Matt Miller compares Shedeur Sanders to Jared Goff

As a senior at Colorado this past season, Shedeur Sanders showcased his accuracy with the best completion percentage in college football. He also had a strong connection with his receivers, and it led ESPN analyst Matt Miller to compare him to a former No. 1 overall pick.

Miller sees some Jared Goff in Sanders’ game, he said Wednesday on NFL Live. It’s not just the accuracy that jumped out, though. It’s the ability to place the ball where receivers can get it, which is a key trait for Goff with the Detroit Lions.

Sanders also showed he can withstand pressure, staying in the pocket while getting the ball to his playmakers. That toughness, Miller said, also lines up with Goff’s skillset.

“Shedeur, it’s the play from the pocket, it’s the surgical accuracy, the ability to see the field. I see Jared Goff,” Miller said. “And I’m a Jared Goff fan. A lot of people are going to see this and be like, ‘Really?’ Jared Goff has been playing great football since he got to Detroit, if folks haven’t noticed what he’s done with the Lions up there. But the pocket toughness, the ability to just stand in there. You know – like Lou [Riddick] said, you’re going to get a Rydell to the ribs – but you’re going to stand in there, you’re going to take those shots, you’re going to give your guys time to make that final move to get open.

“And he throws his guys open. He is the most accurate quarterback in this draft class. Does he have the biggest arm? No, and he’s not the biggest guy. But his ability to just put the ball exactly where it needs to be is the best attribute of any of those quarterbacks in this class.”

A look at Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Draft stock

As a senior at Colorado this past season, Shedeur Sanders led the nation with a 74% completion percentage. He also totaled 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns, along with just 10 interceptions on 477 pass attempts.

Sanders’ NFL Draft stock is an interesting discussion. The sense is he’s the No. 2 quarterback on the board behind Cam Ward, but the question remains where exactly he’ll go. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. recently projected Sanders to go No. 3 overall to the New York Giants, and Adam Schefter said the franchise could still look to take a QB despite signing both Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson.

Regardless, Kiper had some lofty praise for Sanders this week. He called him the most “underappreciated superstar” in his time covering the draft.

In my 47 years, maybe the most underappreciated superstar I’ve seen come out of the collegiate ranks for all the criticism he receives,” Kiper said Tuesday. “‘Shedeur Jones, if he was that, he would be a third-round pick.’ Guess what? Shedeur Sanders made Jackson State, Colorado. He stepped in there and did an unbelievable job with the Buffaloes.

“You saw, when he first got there, what he had to endure in terms of pressure, getting hit all the time. Only three interceptions, completion percentage through the roof. This year, gets a little more help, and outstanding. Few more interceptions, but this kid made the big throws when he had to. Underrated arm, underrated mobility in the pocket. Underrated overall is Shedeur Sanders.”

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