Shedeur Sanders suffered one of the biggest draft day slides in recent memory. While he was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the former Colorado Buffaloes star had to wait until Day 3 to hear his name called by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round.
While the Browns were linked to the son of Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders throughout the pre-draft process, it was somewhat of a shock that they wound up selecting him. Cleveland had passed on the younger Sanders several times in the draft, even selecting former Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel two rounds earlier.
Shedeur Sanders Praises Dillon Gabriel Amid Ongoing Camp Battle
The two rookie quarterbacks are expected to compete with each other and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett for the starting role. Sanders recently discussed his relationship with his fellow rookie quarterback.
Sanders spoke on his relationship with Gabriel during an interview with DJ Siddiqui of Sportscasting last week. The 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year stated:
“Everything’s been cool. He’s a cool person. I like how he handles situations, especially just the negative media that’s coming his way. I’m just happy he’s positive, he’s able to handle everything. We’re truly cool.”
He agreed with Gabriel’s previous assessment that the two are learning from one another. Sanders added that he remains in contact with fellow rookie and former college teammate Travis Hunter before noting that he hasn’t spoken to many people due to his focus on the Browns:
“I’ve mainly just been focusing on the team, everybody that’s currently around me, the coaches on the team. I haven’t really been on my phone much or talking to many people. I really don’t even talk to my family. It’s one of those situations where I just have to lock in, stay focused on what’s present now.”
While Sanders was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football history, questions about his off-the-field personality likely contributed to his slide. He is coming off of a strong season, where he threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while completing an NCAA-leading 74.0% of his passes and adding four rushing touchdowns.
Sanders will look to prove his doubters wrong by winning the starting job in Cleveland and proving that he is a legitimate starting-caliber quarterback. The 2024 All-American will likely have a chip on his shoulder after his shocking draft day slide.
