Shedeur Sanders was a potential top-three pick heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the son of the two-time Super Bowl champion suffered a historic slide and had to wait until Day 3 of this year’s NFL Draft to hear his name.
However, a Cleveland Browns analyst believes that Sanders will have to wait for a change of scenery before he gets a chance to show his potential.
Browns Analyst Predicts Shedeur Sanders’ Future With the Franchise
The Browns selected Sanders as the No. 144 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The selection did no justice to his 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns, which he achieved with a 74% completion rate in his 2024 campaign with the Colorado Buffaloes.
His path, though, does not seem to get any easier, considering the Browns’ squad depth at the quarterback position.
On a June 3 episode of “The Really Big Show,” Browns’ analysts Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer discussed the potential opportunities Sanders will get in Cleveland. “I could argue Dillion Gabriel got a longer leash than Shedeur. In other words, if he was a [first-round] or even a [second-round] pick, how long does [general manager] Andrew [Berry] hang onto his draft pick? Kid is a fifth-round pick,” Rizzo said.
Goldhammer asked Rizzo’s opinion on whether the Browns owe a chance to Sanders: “Do you think the Browns are committed to really giving Shedeur Sanders a chance?”
Rizzo had the response prepared even before the co-host could complete his question.
“No, no. I have told you guys this. Shedeur is a lottery ticket. The Browns just bought a ticket. They bought a lottery ticket, and it’s a long shot,” Rizzo said. “But I just wonder if he is gonna get a fair enough shake to prove that he belongs. The way quarterback is in the NFL, he probably will, and it won’t be with the Browns.”
“Do you think the Browns are committed to actually giving Shedeur Sanders a chance?” – @HammerNation19. @TheRealTRizzo isn’t sure… pic.twitter.com/JqexS0PQWz
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 3, 2025
The Browns have Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders as their five quarterbacks for the 2025 NFL season. Flacco is likely to take charge with Pickett as the backup QB in Week 1, with Watson recovering from an Achilles injury. Gabriel and Sanders will contest for the third QB spot.
Sanders inked his rookie contract with the Browns on May 20. The deal will earn him $4.6 million in four years, including a $447,380 signing bonus.
The 23-year-old appeared on “The Best Podcast Available“ last month and said that he was worried about where he would end up ahead of the draft, but it all feels comfortable and amazing now. He would fancy getting an opportunity to step onto the gridiron and prove his critics wrong.