Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur had some simple advice for the Cleveland Browns as they weigh what to do with the No. 2 overall pick.
Shurmur — who coached the Browns during the 2011-12 season — broke down how the thinking should unfold for Cleveland with the second pick in the draft.
“This is what I’ve told all 32 teams, and I really believe, if you need a quarterback, take Shedeur,” Shurmur told cleveland.com. “If you don’t need a quarterback, take Travis. I’ve said you can’t go wrong, and I think that pretty much says it all.”
Shurmur had Hunter and Sanders available as weapons as the Buffaloes’ offensive coordinator. And both played a significant role in helping Colorado defy expectations during a 9-4 campaign. Colorado ranked No. 6 in the nation with 318.0 passing yards per game.
Browns Need Solution to QB Instability
Sanders passed for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season at Colorado. The Browns fit the bill as a quarterback-needy squad. Cleveland desperately needs a solution at quarterback after the failed blockbuster for Deshaun Watson in 2022. Kenny Pickett is the only healthy quarterback on the roster in Cleveland.
“I don’t coach Shedeur anymore. Maybe someday soon, maybe someday at some point I will again. But I’m really rooting for him, and I’d love to see him go to a place with really great people, because I think the combination of his talent, his skill and his ability working with guys that really know what they’re doing, it’s going to be fun to watch,” Shurmur said.
“I’ve been on record here many times discussing (that) I just think he’s super talented. If you’re a team that needs a quarterback, I think you should choose him. He’s helped two colleges win, and we re-established winning here at Colorado at a major college. He’s been very productive. He’s a great teammate, he’s very heroic, super tough.”
Travis Hunter Favorite to be Selected No. 2
While Sanders could fill a need, Hunter has become the favorite to be selected No. 2 overall. ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes the two-way star will be the pick by the Browns.
“The latest intel now is that I believe Travis Hunter is the more likely pick at [No.] 2, today, a couple of weeks out of the NFL draft, for a couple of different reasons,” Schefter said. “I think the Cleveland Browns watched him on Friday at his pro day and they saw somebody that can move like nobody else. I think that going into that day, they views him as somebody they can play at wide receiver and I think sprinkle in defensive back. So I think he could play two ways for them, but I think they may think of him more as a receiver than a cornerback.”
Hunter won the Heisman, collecting 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He put up big offensive numbers while being a full-time starter on the defensive side of the ball.
If the Browns don’t select a quarterback early, they could look for a passer in the later rounds. Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe and Tyler Shough are all potential QBs Cleveland will look at.
