One of the most polarized players in the entire 2025 NFL Draft class has finally got a home.
And it took him longer than expected to learn his destination. It’s been a long time.
Chedur Sanders slid out of the first round on Thursday night and fell on the second day of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the slide did not stop there. Sanders was not drafted Friday night and slid all the way through the fifth round.
The slides were finally finished.
Cleveland Brownshanded Sanders multiple times and drafted Dillon Gabriel on Friday night, but made Colorado’s quarterback 144 early in the fifth round.
Sanders’ pre-draft process included in incredible discussion in the media space as it appeared to have been the results on the Colorado QB table. There was a time when he seemed like the second player drafted, and sometimes he might look like he might drop out of the first round completely, and he did in the end.
Now we finally know where he is starting his NFL career.
There are things that stand out in his game and some key areas that he needs to improve.
Excellent in Job 1
There are many aspects to high-level quarterback play. However, it is possible to distill the job into one core mantra.
Can I put my soccer where I need it?
Of course, many factors will answer that question, such as their ability to diagnose defense, but accuracy is a necessary characteristic. If the quarterback can’t put football where it is needed, then success in the offense will be difficult to get.
Next is the depiction between general accuracy and ball placement. A good throw is something the receiver can catch. This is a general accuracy. But a better throw is something that the receiver can catch during the stride and turn into a big profit, or perhaps protects the receiver from leverage of the nearest defender.
That’s the placement of the ball.
Sanders is excellent in both.
His general accuracy and elite-level ball placement combination stand out in this class. Corey Kinan, for example, does an incredible job of charting quarterbacks. Saunders said this in his analysis.: “Sanders has a weighting rate on target at 73.26%, making it one of the most accurate quarterbacks I’ve ever charted. Of all the quarterbacks I’ve charted over the last three years, Jayden Daniels has the highest percentage on target, with only one percent.”
Kinan didn’t stop there.
“Sanders is not only the most accurate quarterback in this year’s class, but he is one of the most accurate quarterbacks I’ve ever charted,” Kinnan continues. “The physical tools at Sanders are above average and above average and you have to continue working on already improved pocket work, but the placement and accuracy of the ball cannot be denied. Give your guy a chance.
Sanders’ accuracy and ball placement also stand out in the film.
Take this play against Utah when Sanders throws a safety splitter For the appearance of the cover 2 (If you can’t view the video, click Embed):
Note: For those reading Apple News You must click on the link to view the included clips.
What I like about this throw is the placement of the ball. Sanders guides the receiver from the nearest defender, split safety on the right side of the field. Sanders’ film is filled with examples of quarterbacks who know exactly where the nearest threat lies, keeping his receivers away from danger. That’s how you create big plays on offense and how you make friends in the locker room as a QB.
This next example, the appearance from deep shot 2 of cover 2. Kansasemphasises Sanders’ accuracy in the field. Watch him place this throw in the perfect place and throw it from the left Hash mark to the right sideline:
In this example, you can’t throw this route better than Sanders.
This next play will appear on the Bang-8 post route with a touchdown pass to Travis Hunter Jr. against UCF. Sanders knows safety is hiding in the middle of the field, so watch him squeeze the hunter and put this throw in his frame Instead of bringing him to danger:
Often, they are thrown into the lowest possible frame to avoid major collisions. Sanders does it perfectly here.
Below is another example of Sanders understanding defender leverage and understanding his receiver is open. In this play with Oklahoma, Sanders throws a slot fade to the right of the formation, with the defender inside, and Sanders leads his WR into open space Outside of numbers:
Simply nice to borrow the phrase from Max Verstappen.
Many of these examples are thrown outside the hash mark, or even outside the numbers, but Sanders is not afraid to challenge a middle defense. This is probably where his ball arrangement shines the most. Give this example for Texas Institute of Technology Split the defender pair below Use speed, predictions, and ball placement:
Or this throws it towards Baylor. There, he knows that the safety of the back is lurking, so he squeezes his receiver again, I’m waiting for a big hit:
Sanders is a ball placement specialist, and that’s the QB job.
That’s a job he does very well.
Can he refuse the invitation?
The biggest question about Sanders: can he refuse the invitation?
This is what it means. Sanders faced a ton of pressure in his pocket. Last year alone, he was fired 42 times, which actually improved over the 52 sacks he endured during his 2023 campaign. He certainly played behind the offensive line, which struggled to protect him, but not all of these 94 bags were his creations.
But some of them were.
There certainly was a moment in Colorado, when Sanders invited pressure, and it became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are schools that believe that “pressure is production” for defense. The “body blow” theory begins to feel the pressure on a quarterback, whether it is real or perceived.
It certainly creeped into Sanders’ game.
I’m going to fight Nebraskathe game he was fired five times:
There is a window on the right side of the field where Sanders throws this destructive route. But instead of flying the ball, he hesitates in his pocket. reason? It is possible that a pass rush has begun to break through the inside of the offensive line. Rather than making this throw, Sanders begins to feel the pressure, hoping for the need to extend the play with his feet rather than making predicted throws.
result? Bag, 11 yards loss. The situation in 1st and 10 changes to 2nd and 21, and there are not many plays in that down and diestance scenario playbook.
About this play with Coloradosee if Sanders pulls this ball down and turns it from passerby to runner.
This is a mirrored curl/flat concept, a deep curl route and a route to flats on either side of the field. Two curl routes are open – especially the curl on the left side of the field – but Sanders never gave him a chance and quickly pulled this ball down and became a scrambler.
He slides down for minimal profit, but that’s against Colorado on Saturday. What happens on NFL Sundays?
One of the last examples, About this play with Baylor:
This is a prime example when talking about quarterback predicted throws. Sanders has an open stage road on the left. If he lets the throw go with a bit of expectation, then Buffalo has a big play.
Instead, he hesitates. Hesitating while he tries to climb the pocket brings pressure from the edge, and instead potentially large plays enter the book as a sack.
The landing site is important for Sanders. Now that we know where he is about to start his NFL career, we can piece together how his rookie season plays out. However, by sliding into the fifth round, Sanders adjusts to life in the NFL, so expectations are very different.
Of course, a larger part of the story here is why the other Sanders fell into the fifth round. The film and playing style are part of the story, but in the coming days and weeks, more will emerge about how Sanders handled the pre-draft process.
But between the lines, this is what he does well and where he needs to improve.
