Shedeur Sanders entered the NFL as one of its highest-profile prospects, initially projected as a potential first overall pick. However, he experienced a free fall to the fifth round.
Now part of the Cleveland Browns’ chaotic quarterback room, one former QB-turned-ESPN analyst believes Sanders is a perfect fit for the team’s offense.
Ex-QB: Shedeur Sanders’ Style ‘Perfect’ For Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns Offense
Sanders entered the draft as one of the most talked-about quarterbacks in this year’s class. He completed 74% of his passes for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns, while also becoming the all-time FBS career leader in completion percentage at 71.8%.
He appeared in the top 10 of several early mock drafts. However, his stock took a hit after concerns surfaced about his arm strength, athleticism, and his performance in interviews at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
He eventually lost the QB1 spot to Cam Ward and fell to the 144th overall pick before the Browns selected him. Much was made about Sanders’ media presence in the lead-up to the draft, but he’s been a model teammate since arriving in Cleveland.
Sanders faces a challenging path to secure the team’s starting job. However, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky believes he’ll have a strong opportunity to prove himself in an offense tailor-made for his play style.
Orlovsky recently appeared on ESPN’s “Get Up,” where he explained how Sanders’ game aligns well with head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offensive scheme.
Host Mike Greenberg asked Orlovsky how quickly Sanders’ superpowers of processing and reading the defense will be seen during training camp practices. The former quarterback responded, “Oh gosh, yeah. Fast! If this offense is going under Kevin Stefanski, at least rumors, to what it was a couple years ago, he’s perfect for it.
“He’s perfect for the under center, play action, control the line of scrimmage, see the defense, get from one to two to three. He’s custom-made for that. The way that he thinks, and the way that he can see something on the board, take it to a walk-through, and then bring it to a practice. That’s seen very quickly.”
Sanders Is Already Behind the 8-Ball in Browns’ Crowded QB Room
Cleveland made wholesale changes to its quarterback room after Deshaun Watson, who rated as the lowest-qualifying quarterback in PFSN’s QB+ metric in just seven games, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, and the offense as a whole finished 32nd in PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
The Browns traded for Kenny Pickett, brought Joe Flacco back after a year with the Indianapolis Colts, and drafted Dillon Gabriel 50 picks ahead of Sanders. Both rookies are likely to make the initial 53-man roster, but it’s unclear if either will have a legitimate opportunity to see the field.
With Flacco already stating he won’t mentor the young quarterbacks, both Sanders and Gabriel face an uphill battle. While Orlovsky is confident Sanders can prove himself in Cleveland’s offense, he will ultimately need to demonstrate it on the field.