The wait is finally over. The Cleveland Browns have selected Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. There seemingly was a chance that Sanders would be taken within the top three entering the festivities, but instead, he'll come off the board at No. 144 overall.
Nobody really had a clue as to where and when Sanders would get selected before the draft, but nobody had him going this late and to this Browns team that had just taken Dillon Gabriel, another quarterback, two rounds prior.
The Browns are adding Sanders to a completely revamped quarterback room. Deshaun Watson is a non-factor at this point, as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles, so it's anyone's best guess as to where Sanders ranks in this Cleveland QB depth chart.
Here's a way-too-early look at what it might look like.
Browns projected QB depth chart after adding Shedeur Sanders to crowded room
Rank | Quarterback |
|---|---|
QB1 | Joe Flacco |
QB2 | Kenny Pickett |
QB3 | Dillon Gabriel |
QB4 | Shedeur Sanders |
Again, it's anyone's best guess as to how this will shake out. Realistically, any of these four quarterbacks can start games for Cleveland this season.
For now, Joe Flacco sits at the top of the depth chart. The Browns gave Flacco a one-year deal just a couple of weeks ahead of the NFL Draft. Flacco might be 40 years old, and he might've had his ups and downs last season with the Indianapolis Colts, but he's a veteran who has been in just about any situation and had success with the Browns back in 2023 when he won the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award. As the veteran of the group, he'll probably be given the first shot at being the starter.
Slotting in behind him is Kenny Pickett, a former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round bust whom the Browns acquired in an offseason trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickett has just one more touchdown pass (15) than interceptions thrown (14) in his three-year NFL career thus far, but after sitting behind Jalen Hurts for a year, perhaps he'll show something. The Browns figure to give him a shot to play after trading for him.
Following Flacco and Pickett will be the two rookies in Gabriel and Sanders. For now, it's fair to slot Gabriel ahead of Sanders due to the simple fact that he was selected first, but Sanders figures to have every possible shot to leapfrog him and others.
This Browns quarterback room might be the worst in the NFL, but it's very crowded as well. Sanders' wait is finally over, and he might even have a chance to start at some point, but the crowded room makes him far from a lock to begin the year on Cleveland's 53-man roster.