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Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Shedeur Sanders on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL Analyst Compares Shedeur Sanders To Veteran Quarterbacks Andy Dalton, Kirk Cousins

Originally posted on Colorado Buffaloes on SI
By Charlie Viehl | Last updated Apr 1, 2025 8:20 PM ET

ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck appeared on the network's show "NFL Live," and he offered an interesting opinion regarding former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his projection in the NFL Draft. Hasselbeck, a former quarterback himself, compared Sanders to NFL veteran Andy Dalton.

"(Sanders) is smart. He knows how to play the position. I think where it gets really tricky is like, you're talking about rarefied air when you're talking about drafting a guy at the top of the draft, and look, he just is not as physically talented as you would like to see," said Hasselbeck. "I mean, it sounds crazy and considering he's Deion Sanders' son, but like, that's just the case. So look, my (comparison) on Shedeur Sanders has kind of been in that Andy Dalton range. People have compared him to Kirk Cousins."

"Look, those are compliments, both of those guys have thrown for over, you know, 250 touchdowns through their NFL careers. Both of those guys have led teams to the playoffs, but when you're talking about the top half of the round one, look, it again, you're looking for elite traits, and he just doesn't have those," Hasselbeck continued.

While some might view Hasselbeck's comparison of Sanders to Dalton as a criticism, Andy Dalton has carved out a 14-year career in the NFL. Hasselbeck is quick to point out that the former Horned Frog has led his team to the postseason in the past, but Dalton is 0-4 in playoff games.

Additionally, Andy Dalton was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 35 pick, early in the second round. Is Hasselbeck implying that Sanders could fall to the second day of the NFL Draft?

Dalton spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Bengals before multiple one-year stints with a few teams in the league. After spending time with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints, Dalton played the last two seasons for the Carolina Panthers, and he signed a two-year deal to stay with the franchise this offseason.

He finished second in the voting for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011, but Dalton has only made the Pro Bowl three times in his career. Would Sanders be satisfied with a career like Dalton's?

Sanders has certainly had an interesting pre-draft process, and his draft stock has been one of the most talked about topics of the NFL offseason. Some analysts predict Sanders being selected somewhere in the top-five picks while others predict Sanders sliding in the first round.

As the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, the spotlight has been on Shedeur Sanders from a young age. With the NFL Draft less than a month away, Sanders will soon know his destination in the NFL. One of the final steps before getting there will be Colorado's pro day on April 4 as well as private workouts with a number of teams.

This article first appeared on Colorado Buffaloes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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