Colorado coach unnecessarily compares Shedeur Sanders to Daniel Jones before NFL Draft

Pat Shurmur, who coached both Daniel Jones and Shedeur Sanders, believes the two athletes are similar players and have bright futures.


Colorado coach unnecessarily compares Shedeur Sanders to Daniel Jones before NFL Draft

Shedeur Sanders and Daniel Jones (Image via IMAGO)

If there’s a prize for the most intriguing comparison of the 2025 NFL Draft season, then give it to Pat Shurmur. The Colorado Buffaloes offensive coordinator believes that Shedeur Sanders has a similar skill set to Daniel Jones.

Shurmur spent the last couple of seasons in Deion Sanders’ coaching group. He took care of developing Shedeur for the NFL. So, aside from Coach Prime, anyone who understands the 23-year-old best is Shurmur.

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While speaking with the New York Post, Shurmur revealed that both Sanders and Jones are very good human beings on and off the field.

I think they’re very similar prospects, from a player and a person…They’re both wonderful human beings, they’re both highly accomplished, talented college players that have a chance to make an impact in the NFL—so there are a lot of similarities between Daniel Jones and Shedeur Sanders.

Pat Shurmur said

Jones was drafted 6th overall by the New York Giants in 2019 when Shurmur was the head coach. During his first season, Jones went 3-9 but showed that he can be a steady quarterback who completed 61.9% of his passes for 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. However, the Giants didn’t give Shurmur time, as he was sacked at the season’s end.

Pat Shurmur feels Shedeur Sanders has a bright future ahead of him

Coach Prime hired Shurmur as Colorado’s offensive analyst in 2023. He took over as the offensive coordinator after his predecessor, Sean Lewis, left to manage San Diego State.

Colorado coach unnecessarily compares Shedeur Sanders to Daniel Jones before NFL Draft
Shedeur Sanders (Image via IMAGO)

During the couple of years with the Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders became a household name, and Shurmur believes this is only the beginning for the young quarterback.

[Shedeur Sanders has] got a very bright future in the NFL…He’s a very accurate, very heroic personality [and] a very heroic nature, which allows him to execute at the end of the game when it’s very important.

Pat Shurmur added

Sanders led the FBS with a 74% completion rate in his final season with the Buffaloes. He completed 353 passes for 4134 yards and 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He went 36-14 in his four years of college (Jackson State and Colorado).

The Giants are back in the frame for the ex-Colorado man

Former NFL quarterback turned analyst Dan Orlovsky aptly described that it’s not easy to evaluate Sanders’ tape. Scouts from all over the NFL have evaluated him for months and still are debating his best draft position.

Sanders was a top 3 prospect in the earlier days, along with Miami’s Cam Ward and his Colorado teammate and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. However, recent mock drafts have indicated Sanders could be sliding down the order. Teams such as Daniel Jones’ current team, the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly became viable places for Sanders to land.

For a week, the Saints looked like the team leading the pack as the replacement for veteran Derek Carr. However, the Giants, who seemed locked to draft Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter, all of a sudden have shown interest in Sanders in the last couple of days.

NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Monday that the Giants invited Sanders for a private workout, scheduled to take place on Thursday.

It’s an interesting turn of events. The Giants signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to bolster their quarterback locker room after seemingly giving up on signing Aaron Rodgers.

However, on Thursday, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini shared a different view.

I don’t get the sense that this is going to be a quarterback at No. 3. I don’t.

Dianna Russini wrote on X

It’s still speculation at this point. Nevertheless, Sanders wrote his name in the history books earlier this week after the University of Colorado announced that they were retiring his No.2 jersey.

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