Shedeur Sanders Snapped Up by Browns After Wild NFL Draft Slide

Talk about a plot twist: Shedeur Sanders, once pegged as a possible early NFL Draft pick, was left hanging until the Cleveland Browns finally called his name at pick 144 in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The wait was so long, you could almost hear the suspense music playing in the background.

Sanders' draft night didn’t go even close to plan. The first round came and went, and so did the second and third, with other quarterbacks like Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe, and Dillon Gabriel all getting picked before him. Even the Browns themselves took Gabriel in the third round—so now Sanders joins a suddenly-crowded quarterback room with Gabriel, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett. The Browns’ QB situation is starting to look like a reality show cast list—never a dull moment in Cleveland.

Of course, part of the Browns’ motivation here is uncertainty over Deshaun Watson’s future, after he aggravated his Achilles injury from last season. General Manager Andrew Berry even admitted the Watson trade hasn’t really worked out as planned. So, the door was wide open for Sanders to get his shot.

After the first round, Sanders said he "didn't expect" to fall so far, but he’s using it as motivation. On Saturday morning, before round four, he posted on X about being excited for "another opportunity to get a chance to play the game I love." Now, he can finally put those words into action in Cleveland.

Sanders’ college journey has been anything but boring. He started at Jackson State with his famous dad, "Coach Prime" Deion Sanders, then followed him to Colorado. At Jackson State, he racked up awards: SWAC Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year, and stats that made scouts drool. At Colorado, he kept it rolling—over 3,000 yards passing, a 69% completion rate, and a school record 64 career passing touchdowns in just two seasons. He even led the FBS with a 74% completion rate last year, earning second-team All-American honors, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and a Heisman Trophy finalist spot. Not too shabby for a guy some scouts said was "entitled."

Still, not everyone is sold. Critics point to his longer throwing motion and his preference for highlight-reel plays over the safe check-down. And, of course, there’s the constant spotlight thanks to his dad’s larger-than-life persona—a double-edged sword in the NFL.

Now, Sanders gets a chance to prove his doubters wrong, and Cleveland gets a quarterback who’s got plenty of motivation and a chip the size of Lake Erie on his shoulder. Stay tuned—this Browns QB room could get spicy.