Shedeur Sanders is predicted to go early in the 2025 NFL Draft, with many analysts projecting the star to be either the first or second quarterback off the board.
Sanders threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns last season for the Colorado Buffaloes, elevating his already incredibly high-rising draft stock. Those lofty statistics, plus his famous pedigree and tantalizing intangibles, put him in perfect position to go No. 1 or No. 2 overall.
Shedeur Sanders Plays With Cleveland Browns on Madden NFL
The rumor mill is rife with logical landing spots for Sanders in the first round. The first three teams on the clock — Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants — all need quarterbacks.
So, it was only fitting that ears perked up when Sanders announced his favorite team to play with on the Madden NFL 25 video game was one of those teams.
Speaking openly and honestly from the couch, with a video game controller in his hand, Sanders boldly declared that the Browns are his squad of choice.
He and his friends were discussing their favorite teams on Madden NFL 25 when Sanders chimed in: “You know who I play with?”
Another voice said the Browns, to which Sanders quickly replied: “I like how they move around. I like how they move around on there. I like the setup.”
Then, another voice piped up and said: “All the other teams are trash.”
“I like how they move around man,” – Shedeur Sanders says he only plays Madden with the Browns 🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/RfJvaDOwLv
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) February 18, 2025
Interesting. Needless to say, the internet was more than eager to run with the narrative that Sanders’ preference was to go to Cleveland. Yet, that “setup” might be a little different looking in 2025 after the Browns fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and promoted Tommy Rees.
Then again, Rees probably had his handprints all over the offense in 2024. The 32-year-old served as the team’s tight ends coach and passing game coordinator last season following a one-year stint as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama (2023).
There has also been rampant speculation that head coach Kevin Stefanski will reclaim the play-calling duties.
PFN Mock Draft Pegs Sanders to Browns at No. 2
Pro Football Network’s Ben Rolfe pegged Sanders to the Browns in his first post-Super Bowl mock draft. The Colorado standout goes off the board at No. 2, one pick after Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward lands with the Titans.
Rolfe wrote the following as part of his seven-round mock draft:
“While the Cleveland Browns may not be the most desirable landing spot for off-field elements for Shedeur Sanders, it is far from a bad situation for the Colorado quarterback. The Browns have a lot of pieces in place around Sanders and were only held back by the quarterback play in 2024.
“Sanders is a promising NFL prospect. He is a pocket passer with enough mobility to make him effective. There are concerns about his arm strength, but he mitigates those with his compact release and impressive accuracy. Those mechanics can hide concerns when pressured, which is a concern with the Browns’ offensive line ranking 20th last season.”
Don’t Rule Out the New York Giants
The Giants have generated a ton of buzz in the Sanders’ sweepstakes since the end of the regular season. Sanders provided a major hint into how he thought everything might play out in the draft, telling NFL Network that he saw himself playing for an NFC East team.
Shedeur Sanders just hinted that the #Giants will be drafting him:
• Sanders says he knows he will play the #Cowboys “very soon.”
• The #Titans and the #Browns do NOT play Dallas this upcoming season
NY fans get ready for Sanders 👀pic.twitter.com/1J3dTVAZcQ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 31, 2025
Speaking at the East-West Shrine Bowl Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — literally standing on the Dallas Cowboys’ home turf — Sanders seemed to indicate he would be heading to the Giants at No. 1 overall.
“Being in this stadium is definitely fun,” Sanders said. “I know I’ll play here very soon against the Cowboys. It’s definitely a dream come true being able to be at this bowl game, being able to watch my brothers out there, watching my teammates.”