Entering the 2025 NFL Draft, many believed Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders would be one of the first quarterbacks off the board. After a senior season with 37 touchdown passes, 4,134 yards, and a 74% completion rate, his college numbers weren’t the problem.
But Sanders waited. And waited some more. His name didn’t get called until the fifth round, when the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 144th pick. Five quarterbacks were drafted before him, including Dillon Gabriel, who went two rounds earlier to the same Browns.
Despite Draft Slide, Shedeur Sanders May Be Primed to Rise Up the Depth Chart
Cleveland’s quarterback room is a bit of a mess. Where the rookies fit in is unclear, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see Sanders climb the chart fast.
🔥 Shedeur. Can 100% Be Browns QB1. Louis & Kimberley Explain
“In that building there are people that 100% believe Shedeur can be the starter of this FB team”
📽️ @GetUpESPN https://t.co/cFfr9onUoo pic.twitter.com/MRQfW13yrB— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) June 4, 2025
NFL analyst Louis Riddick said on ESPN’s “Get Up” that the idea of Sanders starting isn’t far-fetched. If the coaching staff gives him a shot, Riddick believes Sanders has the tools to win the job.
Host Kimberley Martin agreed and shared more from inside the building.
“In that building there are people that believe Shedeur can 100 percent be the starter of this football team,” she said. On the coaching side, she added, “It’s also incumbent upon Shedeur to do the work.
“Talking to people in that building, they have said he is soaking up everything like a sponge. In the QB room, talking to Flacco, wanting to learn.”
Martin also mentioned there’s confidence in Gabriel, too, saying the only knock on him is his size — otherwise, he checks the boxes for what teams want in a quarterback. Coaches like his accuracy, quick release, and poise under pressure, even if his physical profile doesn’t match the modern mold.
Optimism around rookies is nothing new, especially one with Sanders’ profile. But it’s worth noting that while early starts for rookie quarterbacks are more common, most are first-round picks, not fifth-rounders. Day 3 picks don’t often get the same leash, making every practice rep and preseason drive that much more critical.
That doesn’t mean Sanders (or Gabriel) can’t win the job, especially given how unsettled the Browns’ QB situation is. Plenty of folks around the league believed Sanders should’ve gone much earlier. If he ends up as QB1, it wouldn’t surprise everybody, and it might just be the spark Cleveland needs.
