After a 3-14 season, the Cleveland Browns now hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Their issues at quarterback are no secret, and with Deshaun Watson struggling with injuries and inconsistent play, the Browns are eyeing a major shift under center.
They added Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco this offseason, but neither is seen as the long-term answer. One analyst predicts the Browns will use the No. 2 pick to land a quarterback — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
Cleveland Browns Predicted To Select Shedeur Sanders ‘No Matter What’
Watson remains the Browns’ highest-paid player, but his 2024 performance didn’t meet expectations. His PFSN QB+ rating for the regular season was 44.3 (F), ranking 39th among NFL quarterbacks.
Despite the large contract, Watson’s play raised more questions than answers. And with Achilles injuries further complicating the picture, PFSN analyst Reese Decker sees Cleveland turning the page at the position — even if linebacker Abdul Carter is the more popular mock draft pick.
“For general manager Andrew Berry, it’s quarterback or bust,” Decker wrote. “…The real surprise isn’t what Cleveland will do with the No. 2 pick, it’s how Berry and his staff are still making it. They either find the franchise’s savior or hit the road. No middle ground.
“With the second pick, Cleveland will be looking at a quarterback who’s shown he can turn programs around. Shedeur Sanders has proven he can win where others haven’t. Don’t be shocked if Berry wrote ‘SHEDEUR SANDERS NO MATTER WHAT’ on a post-it weeks ago. For this front office, there may not be another option.”
Sanders has shown he can change the trajectory of a team. At Jackson State, he led the Tigers to an 11-2 finish and a Southwestern Athletic Conference title in 2021. That year, as a true freshman, he threw for 3,231 yards, 30 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while completing nearly 66% of his passes. He won the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in FCS football.
In 2022, he improved again — 3,732 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just six picks, with a 70.6% completion rate. Jackson State finished 12-1, narrowly losing the Celebration Bowl in overtime.
When Coach Prime took the Colorado job, Sanders followed. The Buffaloes went just 1-11 in 2022, but he helped them win four games in 2023. He threw for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and three interceptions, completing more than 69% of his passes.
Colorado then jumped to 9-4 in 2024 and finished the regular season ranked in the AP Top 25. Sanders posted career highs in nearly every category: 4,134 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and a 74.0% completion percentage.
The Browns are hoping he can pull off another turnaround in Cleveland. And if Decker is right, it wouldn’t be surprising if Andrew Berry locked this pick in after his final visit with the quarterback.