The wait is finally over, as Shedeur Sanders was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. He was projected by some people to land with them … just a little earlier than the fifth round. And no one anywhere had him going after Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Now, he will join a very crowded quarterback room in Cleveland and has no clear-cut path to the starting role.
But that doesn’t mean the precipitous drop has dulled his confidence or tempered the expectations he has for himself. More importantly, he signaled that he’s not despondent or depressed but upbeat and positive.
Shedeur Sanders Lets the Browns Know He’s Not Down and Out
After his selection was announced, the crowd of people in his home hooted and hollered before Sanders had a message for the Browns. “Thank you, Browns organization, for giving me a chance; that’s all I need,” Sanders said directly to the team.
As for his fall, Sanders leaned on his faith. “You can’t control [it], you have to stay happy and positive at all times, and I knew all the time that God had me,” Sanders said. “So, I wasn’t really panicking because I understood it’s all about perfect timing.”
Message from Shedeur Sanders after getting drafted:
“Thank you Browns organization for giving me a chance”🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/1oNbr7shcR
— GUCCE🦬🐦⬛ (@gucceCU)
Sanders has been through a lot the last few weeks. It’s been reported that he had terrible meetings with the New York Giants, and one coach alleges he took a FaceTime call during a meeting. The negative vibes may have influenced the way talent evaluators judged his film and overall numbers.
In the end, a player who was at one point considered the second-best quarterback in the draft fell out of the top 10. Then, after dropping out of the first round, he kept falling. And falling. Then, in the third round, the Browns took Dillon Gabriel, someone who wasn’t projected by anyone to go that high.
In the end, Sanders slid, shockingly, to the fifth, where almost just as shockingly, the Browns took him. It’s a mind-bending turn of events that no one would have predicted before the draft, though there were some signs that a slide could happen. Regardless, the Browns can be criticized for reaching on Gabriel, but it can’t be denied that they got tremendous value in Sanders relative to his pre-draft evaluations.
It’s a curious pick and will raise questions about what sort of dynamic will play out in the locker room and quarterback room. The Browns also have Kenny Pickett and veteran Joe Flacco on the roster.
With Deshaun Watson likely out for a good chunk of the 2025 season with a surgically repaired Achilles’ heel, the competition to be the starter in Cleveland is wide open.
