After two days of waiting, the Cleveland Browns finally ended Shedeur Sanders' suffering by selecting him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. There seemed to be a chance months ago that the Browns were going to select Sanders with the No. 2 overall pick, but instead, they wound up getting him 142 picks later.
There were a lot of intriguing storylines to follow in the NFL Draft, including the Browns trading out of the chance to draft Sanders' former Colorado teammate, Travis Hunter, but the most interesting one of all was Sanders' fall. Not a single analyst predicted Sanders would go nearly as low as he ended up going.
Based on the fact that the Browns wound up trading up to get him, you'd think Cleveland's draft room would be electric following the Sanders pick. Instead, both head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry looked downright depressed after making the selection.
Browns war room after drafting Shedeur Sanders pic.twitter.com/VA0qU0KtUc
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 26, 2025
No, I don't expect the front office to act as if they won the Super Bowl after making a fifth-round pick, but can we crack a smile or something? They clapped, but neither individual looked thrilled by what had just transpired. This should show Browns fans who really made this pick.
Browns draft room reaction makes it clear that Jimmy Haslam made Shedeur Sanders pick
If Stefanski and Berry aren't thrilled, there's a good chance that neither one of these individuals had the final say when it came down to making this pick. It really feels as if owner Jimmy Haslam was the one who made the final decision to do what it took to get this done.
On one hand, taking Sanders when the Browns did does make some sense. Sanders was seen by many as the second-best quarterback prospect in this class, and the Browns wound up making him the sixth quarterback taken. The reasons he slid down draft boards likely had nothing to do with his on-field ability. Chances are, Sanders will prove to be a great pick as a fifth-rounder.
On the other hand, though, did the Browns really have to do this? Cleveland had selected Dillon Gabriel just two rounds earlier and had brought in both Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in separate transactions over the offseason. Chances are, the Browns won't have four quarterbacks on their active roster come Week 1, so the organization may have wasted money or draft capital by constructing this wonky quarterback room.
Based on the lack of an ideal fit and the draft room reaction, there's little reason to believe that Stefanski and Berry actually wanted to take Sanders. With that being said, though, not every GM and head coach has the final say. Sometimes, if the owner wants something, his owner and GM don't have a choice but to adhere to his commands.