After not being taken in the first round, Shedeur Sanders easily became one of the top stories of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Colorado quarterback's fall ended in the fourth round, when the Cleveland Browns finally took the shot on him with the No. 144 pick. While not the entrance he expected, Sanders nonetheless is on track to begin his professional career in the fall.
By joining the Browns, Sanders is the fifth addition to what has become one of the strangest quarterback rooms in the NFL. Though injured and expected to miss most of the 2025 season, DeShaun Watson remains on the roster as the de facto starter. The team added 40-year-old Joe Flacco and former first-round pick Kenny Pickett in free agency as backups, but either could feasibly start with Watson still nursing his Achilles injury. Before drafting Sanders, Cleveland added another rookie quarterback by taking Oregon's Dillon Gabriel in the third round.
With the odd plethora of quarterbacks on the team, one or both of Flacco and Pickett are immediately on the roster bubble. The team seemingly has no further interest in Watson, but his massive $115 million cap hit over the next two seasons makes it difficult to get him off the roster. Given the uncertainty of the position, Sanders could realistically find himself in the starting lineup sooner than his draft fall indicated.
Shedeur Sanders will take over by Week 6
Following the success of Patrick Mahomes, many teams have attempted to take a similar approach of sitting their rookie quarterbacks in their first year. But time and again, the impatience of the fan base pressures the coaching staff into pulling the plug early.
With the Browns, Sanders will likely begin his career buried on the bench in one of the league's strangest quarterback rooms. As Watson continues to mend a ruptured Achilles tendon, the next chapter of Cleveland's never-ending quarterback fiasco remains up in the air. Flacco, who started five games for the team in 2023, could have the early lead to start in Week 1, but no assumptions can be made three months ahead of training camps.
Sanders may be the latest addition to the group, but he could already be the most talented. Despite being drafted after Gabriel, Sanders was ahead of the Hawaiian on nearly every pre-draft board. He is not a typical fourth-round prospect and could easily win the preseason quarterback battle with not much competition in front of him.
Even if he begins the year as a backup, Sanders will get his opportunity as a rookie. The Browns have not had one quarterback start every game for them since Baker Mayfield in 2020. Unless Pickett is the next former bust to reform his career, or Gabriel unexpectedly hits the ground running, the odds of Kevin Stefanski being forced to seek a change under center are still high.
Fans might not like his personality, but Sanders is still easily one of the most talented quarterbacks of the class. So far, he has proven capable of rising to the challenge upon every increase in competition. Like any rookie, he will have his ups and downs, but the upside that had some initially viewing him as 1B to Cam Ward's 1A is still there.
Shedeur Sanders will throw at least 20 touchdowns
Sanders is the most talented quarterback in the Browns' locker room and thus, should receive the most run in 2025. Even if he does not begin the year as the starter, it should not take Stefanski long to figure out which one of his signal-callers gives him the best chance to succeed.
In 2024, Jameis Winston proved that the Browns' offense can be successful under the right circumstances. Sanders does not have the same gunslinging mentality that Winston has, but he threw a combined 67 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions in his two seasons at Colorado.
Sanders, the most accurate quarterback in the FBS, does not have the arm to rifle the ball 50 yards downfield, but that is not the way Stefanski runs his offense anyhow. Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Michael Woods II and Jamari Thrash all tend to do their best work in the short to mid-range areas, which Sanders thrived in at Colorado. Under an offensive-minded guru like Stefanski, Sanders will have a better chance to find his groove than he would have on many other rosters.
Sanders will not complete 74 percent of his passes as a rookie like he did as a senior at Colorado, but he has a very real chance to put up an impressive rookie season once given the opportunity. Stefanski tends to be stubborn with his quarterback rotation, but as long as the fall did not completely shatter his confidence, Sanders is the best one he has.
Shedeur Sanders will lead the Browns to the playoffs
Once the Browns finally find a stable quarterback, they will have everything they need to be consistent playoff contenders. Their consistently elite defense managed to keep Myles Garrett in Cleveland and make significant additions in the 2025 NFL Draft with Mason Graham and Carson Schwesinger.
Despite their poor league reputation, the Browns have been annual playoff contenders under Stefanski in every year except 2024. The Watson experiment completely derailed their progress, but the roster otherwise has everything necessary to be a legitimate threat in the AFC.
With Sanders, the Browns potentially have their best hope at the position since Mayfield left in 2021. With a defense as dominant as Cleveland's can be, Sanders would not have to be much better than league average to take the team back to the postseason.
Aside from his so-called “weak” arm, Sanders' biggest concern coming out of Colorado is his pocket presence after taking 42 sacks in 2024. But behind a potent offensive line anchored by former All-Pros Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, Sanders should work in the cleanest pocket he has seen in years.
Maybe he does not win Rookie of the Year, but Sanders' talent should prevail in 2025. His historic fall in the draft is the story of his career for now, but by the end of the season, fans could be talking about how far he can take the Browns.
