‘The Ball Is Flying’ — Ex-NFL QB Kurt Benkert Raves About Shedeur Sanders’ Growth Since Leaving Colorado

Kurt Benkert sees major improvement in Shedeur Sanders' arm strength since the former Colorado star was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.

Shedeur Sanders’ past few months have been filled with ups and downs. The young quarterback led Colorado to their first winning season since 2016 and was projected to be a first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, Sanders did not end up being taken on day one or even day two of the NFL Draft. Instead, he fell all the way to the fifth round before he was taken by the Cleveland Browns as the 144th overall pick. There’s been lots of speculation surrounding why Sanders fell, but one of the main concerns with him as a player was his arm strength. It would appear that Sanders is already making improvements in that area, as a new video has an analyst seeing a difference already.

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Kurt Benkert Praises Shedeur Sanders’ Arm Strength in Video From Browns Camp

During the draft process, evaluators praised Shedeur Sanders for a lot of things. His accuracy was off the charts, and his toughness was unquestionable. However, the biggest question mark about Sanders’ game was his arm strength.

While Sanders showed off a good arm at Colorado, many analysts felt that it wasn’t strong enough to be able to fit the ball in NFL windows, but people are already noticing improvements, including former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert.

In a post on X, Benkert shared a video of Sanders from Browns mini-camp, noting that his arm already is showing more “juice” in Cleveland than it was at Colorado.

While it’s hard to tell just from a mini-camp video, his release and overall velocity do look better than what he put on tape with the Buffaloes. Sanders has been working with the Cleveland Browns coaching staff since he was drafted back in April, and seems to already be showing improvements, which is a great sign for the young quarterback.

Sanders’ fall in the 2025 NFL Draft, as many fans and analysts saw him as a first-round talent. Aside from what he put on tape, his stats with Colorado last season were insane as he threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns while completing an NCAA best 74% of his passes.

If his arm strength was the biggest reason for his fall in the draft, and he’s already showing improvement, then this could be a good sign for the former college superstar as he looks to fight and compete for the starting job in Cleveland.
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Regardless of whether Sanders gets the starting nod or not, it’s a good sign to see him working hard to hone his craft at the next level.

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