The long wait for Shedeur Sanders ended when the Cleveland Browns selected him in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick. The former Colorado quarterback was widely considered QB2 in this year’s class, but ended up being the sixth signal-caller taken.
Let’s look at how Sanders stacks up to other players taken at No. 144.
How Does Shedeur Sanders Compare to Other 144th-Overall Picks?
The inaugural NFL Draft was held in 1936 after Philadelphia Eagles co-owner Bert Bell proposed the idea to his fellow owners. The first draft had a pool of just 90 players, with 81 being selected.
According to DraftHistory.com, the first time 144 players were selected was in 1939 when the Eagles picked Irv Hall out of Brown. At that time, the 144th pick was in the fourth round. This pick has fallen in the fifth round most years since 1994, but has shown up in the fourth because of compensatory picks.
With Cleveland selecting Sanders, six quarterbacks have been chosen at No. 144 since 1939. Four were drafted over five years from 1956 to 1960, and Sam Howell fell in that slot in 2022.
Howell started his career with the Washington Commanders before moving on to the Seattle Seahawks (and Minnesota Vikings, being traded on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft). He was Washington’s starter in 2023 and posted 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. His interception number led the league that season, as did his number of pass attempts (612) and sacks (65).
Sanders is likely the highest-rated prospect to fall to No. 144, but this group includes one Pro Football Hall of Famer in former New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Joe Klecko.
The former Jet was picked in the 1977 NFL Draft and was a two-time first-team All-Pro in his 12-year career. He spent all but one season in New York as a member of the team’s famed “New York Sack Exchange.” Klecko posted 20.5 sacks in 1981, making the Pro Bowl and finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2023.
The 144th overall pick has had a lot of recent success, with seven of the last nine picks currently in the league. Connor McGovern, Grover Stewart, and Justin Watson were picked from 2016 to 2018 and are still playing at a high level.
So, how will Sanders fit into the history of the 144th overall pick? He’s walking into a crowded Cleveland quarterback room, so he’ll likely have to wait for an opportunity to play. The team acquired Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco this offseason, and drafted Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the third round.
Deshaun Watson is still on Cleveland’s roster, but likely won’t play in 2025 due to re-tearing his Achilles. On-field questions about Sanders’ arm strength and athleticism likely dropped him out of the top-10, but off-field issues like his father and unimpressive NFL Scouting Combine interviews likely elongated his wait. Sanders will have a large chip on his shoulder going forward.
