Shedeur Sanders was arguably the highest-profile prospect in the history of the NFL Draft. The Colorado product was in the discussion for the first overall pick before a steep fall to the fifth round, which was ended by the Cleveland Browns at 144th overall.
Sanders was thrown into the wildest quarterback room in recent memory and has excelled so far. He has even looked at times the best of the four players competing for the starting job, and one former NFL player believes the Colorado alum will eventually get a chance to start for the Browns.
Domonique Foxworth Says Shedeur Sanders Is Not a ‘Normal Fifth-Round Pick’
While the veterans utilize the OTAs to shake off the rust, the rookies get their first taste of the NFL. Every rookie feels the pressure mounting as coaches are eagle-eyed on every aspect of the play. Brushing aside all the noise and criticism during the 2025 draft, Shedeur Sanders certainly impressed, as his plays shut the off-field noise.
Former Denver Broncos’ cornerback Domonique Foxworth took notice and suggested that it was only a matter of time before the 23-year-old becomes the starter for the Browns. However, he also added that if Sanders doesn’t impress much when he starts, the Browns would be ready to move on.
“He’s not a normal fifth-round pick,” Foxworth noted on ESPN’s Get Up. “He’s going to get his chance. He just needs to be ready for that opportunity.”
SHEDEUR WITH THE TD DOT 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/EoGpX7Ple3
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 4, 2025
“I don’t remember the last time we talked about a fifth-round quarterback in June. We’re talking about him in May. He’s a big deal, and the team is going to give him an opportunity at some point.”
“But he needs to use this time, I think, to win over his teammates and coaches and fans, which it seems like he’s doing right now. Say and do all the right things, be ready for your opportunity because it’s not gonna be long. He still is a fifth-round pick in compensation. So, if it doesn’t look great early, I think they will move on from it, but let’s not think that he’s not going to get a chance.”
With the Browns boasting four active quarterbacks on their roster, the uncertainty regarding Deshaun Watson still means Sanders needs to jump over three players.
The 23-year-old could be the best at dealing with a pass rush among all of the quarterbacks in camp. With Colorado, Sanders thrived behind an offensive line that surrendered 43 sacks.
Coincidentally, the Browns struggled in the same area last season, and according to PSFN’s offensive line rankings, they were 20th due to many issues.
Hence, the NFL rush should not shake Sanders, even though other mobile quarterbacks in Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel stack up against him. Nonetheless, Sanders manages to stand out as he does not exhibit happy feet that turn into interceptions.
With the season three months away, Sanders has his work cut out for him. In order to justify Foxworth’s assertions, the fifth-round pick needs to translate his OTA performance into more practices and, more importantly, games.