Shedeur Sanders’ beautiful slide lastly got here to an finish.
As soon as thought-about a candidate to be the primary general choose, the Colorado quarterback fell all the best way to No. 144 earlier than the Cleveland Browns took him Saturday within the fifth spherical of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Cleveland traded up to take action, sending the No. 166 and No. 192 picks to the Seattle Seahawks to land essentially the most polarizing prospect on this yr’s draft class.
“Thank you GOD,” Sanders, who didn’t attend the draft in Inexperienced Bay, wrote on social media shortly after his identify was known as. He celebrated being drafted by pulling off his shirt and leaping right into a pool.
Sanders, the high-profile son of Corridor of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, was the sixth quarterback to come back off the board — and the second drafted by the Browns, who chosen Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel two rounds earlier.
The Browns handed on Sanders six instances earlier than they moved up 22 slots to take him with the sixth choose of the fifth spherical.
“We live by our board,” Browns basic supervisor Andrew Berry mentioned. “We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position. We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft. Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it’s a guy that we think can out-produce his draft slot.”
Getting into the offseason, debates raged over whether or not Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward was the very best quarterback prospect. However the big-armed Ward rapidly established himself because the consensus best choice, and the Tennessee Titans took him with the No. 1 general choose in Thursday’s first spherical.
The ultra-confident Sanders’ inventory appeared to slip within the weeks main as much as the draft, however he was nonetheless extensively anticipated to go within the first spherical or by the early second.
Final season, Sanders led the nation with a 74.0% completion share, ranked second with 37 landing passes and took the resurgent Buffaloes to a 9-4 report.
Evaluators touted his accuracy and toughness however had been much less bullish on his arm energy, athleticism and propensity to carry onto the ball too lengthy. He took an FBS-high 42 sacks in 2024.
Current reviews raised questions on Sanders’ efficiency in the course of the pre-draft course of.
The Ringer’s Todd McShay reported Sanders “didn’t have a great interview with Brian Daboll” and was not ready for an set up bundle throughout a personal exercise with the Giants.
The opinions had been extra combined among the many coaches and scouts who spoke anonymously with NFL Community’s Tom Pelissero, however one assistant known as Sanders “entitled” and mentioned he gave “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life.”
The slide started Thursday, when quarterback-needy groups together with the Giants at No. 3, Browns at No. 5, New Orleans Saints at No. 9 and Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 all handed on him with their first picks.
The Giants, who spent appreciable time scouting Sanders, handed on him once more once they traded again into the primary spherical to take Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart at No. 25.
The Saints drafted Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough with the No. 40 choose, and the Seahawks chosen Alabama’s Jalen Milroe at No. 92.
In maybe the most important stunner, Cleveland drafted the much-less-heralded Gabriel at No. 94.
However Sanders finally ended up with the Browns, who supply a fascinating touchdown spot.
With Deshaun Watson’s standing unsure after he re-tore his proper Achilles tendon in January, the Browns’ quarterback room of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders doesn’t characteristic a clear-cut starter.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system is suited to pocket passers, which inserts Sanders’ ability set.
The Browns had been initially thought-about an possibility for Sanders with the No. 2 general choose, which they traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday. The Jags then used that choose to draft one other Colorado star in two-way sensation Travis Hunter.
Sanders, who stands at 6-1 ½ and 212 kilos, was a four-year collegiate starter, spending his first two years at Jackson State and the final two at Colorado.
His father was his head coach at each stops.
Sanders threw for no less than 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns in all 4 seasons. His 71.8% completion share over his two years at Colorado gave him the very best profession mark amongst FBS quarterbacks ever.
However Sanders’ state of affairs grew to become increasingly more difficult as he remained on the board. Quarterbacks taken on the third day of the draft are usually considered as developmental gamers, and groups are usually reluctant to make use of high-profile backup quarterbacks.
“Obviously, Shedeur has grown up in the spotlight, but our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete,” Berry mentioned. “Nothing’s been promised. Nothing will be given.”
Initially Printed: April 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM EDT
