It never had to be this hard. With the Cleveland Browns being able to convince edge rusher extraordinaire Myles Garrett to stay with a long-term extension, the next thing they need to do is get him a quarterback. While the Deshaun Watson contract will continue to hold this team back, the Browns do have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They should take Shedeur Sanders.
According to Todd McShay of The Ringer, Sanders may end up being the pick for the Browns after all. "I truly believe that Shedeur Sanders is in play for the Browns at No. 2," said McShay. Cleveland is only picking after the Tennessee Titans in the NFL Draft. While Cam Ward is projected to go to them out of Miami, he may have another preferred destination. Sanders may fall right into the Browns' lap at No. 2.
For as many ice cream headaches as we have induced on ourselves over trying to figure out how Kirk Cousins can end up in Cleveland, simply taking Sanders at No. 2 is the most logical. He is the son of an NFL legend in Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. Sanders projects to be the next Geno Smith, a starting level quarterback who can play at a Pro Bowl level if he is in the right system.
With the Las Vegas Raiders all in on Smith, Cleveland is now my favorite landing spot for Sanders.
"I truly believe that Shedeur Sanders is in play for the Browns at number two," - @McShay13 😯.
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) March 17, 2025
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/QV1zE7i9Wg
Let's be real. If the Browns do not take him at No. 2, then the New York Giants might at No. 3 overall.
Cleveland Browns may end up taking Shedeur Sanders anyway at No. 2
I really do not think the Browns need to outthink the room here. The only way that head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry get to keep their jobs beyond this upcoming season is if they draft a franchise quarterback at No. 2 overall. Yes, there may be generational talents in the draft at other positions like Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter, but Garrett was one back in the day, too.
What I am getting at is the Browns are only as good as the quarterback play they are getting. Unfortunately for them, it has usually been the epitome of unsatisfactory since coming back into the league in 1999. Sanders may not end up being a world beater, but I get the sense that his NFL pedigree and professionalism shall help him navigate the dysfunctional Browns better than most.
Ultimately, I have a difficult time seeing Sanders fall outside the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Tennessee needs a quarterback, so does Cleveland and so do the Giants. Those teams are picking one, two, three. Beyond that, I could see a team like the New Orleans Saints trading up from No. 9 to take either prospect. There is also the allure of Jaxson Dart coming out of Ole Miss as 2025's QB3.
Right now, I think we have to listen to what McShay is saying about Sanders going to Cleveland.