Only time will tell, but I still cannot for the life of me understand why Shedeur Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round. The former Colorado Buffaloes star was actually the second quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Maybe we just want to hear more about Sanders than Dillon Gabriel? Then again, only one of them carried a first-round projection early in the draft process.
When speaking to ESPN Clevleland, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski could not stop talking glowingly about Sanders. He raved about how good of a person he is and how hard of a worker he is. That may or may not translate to success for him on the field, but it was all about the tone of Stefanski's voice when talking about him. This is a great head coach who has never had the right guy.
Stefanski has been asked to make chicken salad out of chicken mess for years, so this resonates.
"Shedeur is a great kid, and whether it's a following that he's earned, that's something he's done a great job of interacting with fans. But he is a great, great kid. You guys will get to know him more. He's working like crazy, just like all the guys."
It is abundantly clear that the character assassination that was attempted on Sanders did not take.
"You know, my office is downstairs. They gotta walk by my office as they come in. They come in early. And Shedeur, just like all those guys, he's in there early, he's getting his work done. So he's working really, really hard. I like everything there is about Shedeur."
Here is a clip from Stefanski's interview with ESPN Cleveland where he talked all about Sanders.
What should we reasonably expect out of Sanders in his rookie season out of Colorado this year?
What Cleveland Browns fans should expect out of Shedeur Sanders
With the way the quarterback room is breaking down, here is how I see it. In a best-case scenario, Sanders emerges as a starting-level player at some point in the second half of the year. Ideally, he would take over the reins from the ageless Joe Flacco, gradually usurping Gabriel and Kenny Pickett on the depth chart. If Sanders plays well, then the Browns could finally cut ties with Deshaun Watson.
But then again, let's not put some absurd amount of pressure on a rookie quarterback taken in day three of the draft. To me, it is all about situation and circumstance for these players. Where Sanders landed gives him a great opportunity to play. First-round picks Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart will almost certainly be asked to play early. Not sure they are ready for it. Sanders is in a spot like Quinn Ewers is.
If all breaks well for Ewers, he can usurp Zach Wilson on the Miami Dolphins depth chart and briefly take over for Tua Tagovailoa whenever he gets hurt next. Will Howard is in a similar spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the gap between what he is and what Mason Rudolph is not that much. The hope is Sanders, and all three of these guys, to look good and feel good when they play good this fall.
I just keep going back to the fact that Stefanski cannot seem to get enough of this fifth-round pick.