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Shedeur Sanders 'Extremely Grateful' for Browns Pick, QB Won't Focus on 'Negative'

Andrew Peters
Apr 26, 2025
NFL Draft Football

Shedeur Sanders dealt with plenty of outside noise over the last few days as he fell in the NFL Draft, but he expressed his gratitude after being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round on Saturday.

"I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity throughout everything," Sanders told reporters on a conference call. "I don't ever focus on a negative or even think about the negative because the positive happened so fast."

In the months leading up to the draft, Sanders was widely projected to be a first-round pick, and there were even debates about whether he should go first overall. Even after it became clear that the Tennessee Titans were going to draft Cam Ward with the first pick, Sanders getting picked up in the first round was still a realistic outcome.

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Sanders ultimately experienced an unprecedented slide to the fifth round, which led to plenty of criticism and other noise on social media. He said he was unfazed by all the chatter over the past few days.

"Nothing really affected me the last couple of days," Sanders said. "I'm blessed. I know I have to clean up some things in my game. The main thing is proving (head coach Kevin) Stefanski and [general manager Andrew] Berry right about picking me."

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Along with Sanders, the Browns' quarterback room features Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel, who Cleveland drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft.

While Sanders might not be the starter out of the gate like he could have been on another team, he has no question about the fit with the Browns.

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"I know I'm going to fit in (with the Browns) perfectly," he said. "I'm here ready to work. The opportunity to see the real me and not stuff that might not be true."

Why Sanders fell so far in the draft will be a topic of conversation for the rest of the offseason, but there's no question he has NFL skill. He threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in his final campaign at Colorado.

He'll now look to put on a show in Cleveland as he tries to help turn the Browns around.

Browns GM Praises 'Highly Accurate' Shedeur Sanders After QB's NFL Draft Slide Ends

Jack Murray
Apr 26, 2025
NFL Draft Football

The Cleveland Browns feel good about the value of fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders.

The Browns ended Sanders' infamous draft slide Saturday afternoon when they used the No. 144 pick on the Colorado signal-caller despite taking quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round.

When asked about the selection, Browns general manager Andrew Berry praised Sanders' accuracy and said the team did not expect him to be available as late as he was.

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"The time that we spent with Shedeur and what he's done throughout his college career is impressive," Berry said, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. "He's an impressive young man. He's a really good quarterback. Sometimes fit comes into play."

Sanders was rated as the No. 23 overall player and the No. 2 quarterback in the draft class by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. His free-fall in the draft made him the sixth quarterback off the board.

He threw for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the Buffaloes in 2024. He had a completion rate of 74 percent and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

While his draft ride was rocky, he will now get an opportunity to compete against Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Gabriel for the starting role as the Browns look to rebound from a 3-14 season.

Browns' Depth Chart, NFL Salary Cap after Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel Draft Picks

Andrew Peters
Apr 26, 2025

At long last, Shedeur Sanders was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

The Cleveland Browns traded up to the 144th pick to select the Colorado star quarterback following an unprecedented slide.

Before taking Sanders, Cleveland drafted Oregon's Dillon Gabriel in the third round, meaning the Browns' quarterback room is now somewhat crowded. Here's a look at the team's updated depth chart.

2025 Cleveland Browns Depth Chart

QB: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson

RB: Quinshon Judkins, Jerome Ford, Dylan Sampson, Pierre Strong Jr.

WR: Cedric Tillman, Michael Woods II, Jamari Thrash, David Bell, Kaden Davis

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TE: David Njoku, Harold Fannin Jr., Blake Whiteheart

FB: Troy Hairston

As far as the financial side of things, the Browns had $19.155 million in salary cap space before the draft, per Overthecap.com, meaning they'll have some money to work with heading into the rest of the offseason.

The Browns were a possibility for Sanders heading into the draft, though many expected Cleveland to take him in the first or second round rather than the fifth. Now, the battle for QB1 begins.

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The Browns certainly have one of the most interesting quarterback rooms in the NFL heading into the 2025 season.

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In Flacco, they have a decorated veteran looking to put together a few more good seasons before he calls it a career. Pickett has shown flashes of potential through his first three years, but is still looking for a breakout season. Gabriel had a tremendous collegiate career and was a Heisman finalist in 2024. Sanders threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns last year with the Buffaloes.

The biggest question mark in the Browns' quarterback room is Deshaun Watson, who could miss the entire 2025 season but still carries a $35.9 million cap hit. Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam admitted that the trade for Watson in 2022 was "a big swing and miss," and it seems likely the Browns will try to move on from him and his expensive contract.

With uncertainty about Watson and a quarterback competition getting ready to start, the Browns will be a team to watch for the remainder of the offseason.

Shedeur Sanders' Projected Browns Rookie Contract After 2025 NFL Draft Pick

Paul Kasabian
Apr 26, 2025
Colorado Black & Gold Spring Game

The Cleveland Browns selected Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the No. 144 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft on Saturday.

Sanders was once seen as a first-round prospect. The final B/R NFL Scouting Department big board listed Sanders at No. 23, and the last B/R mock draft had him at No. 20 (to the Browns, after a projected trade with the Denver Broncos).

Sanders did end up going to the Browns but in the fifth round.

The fall is going to cost Sanders some money on his rookie deal. Per Spotrac, Sanders is projected to earn a four-year contract worth $4.65 million, including a $446,553 signing bonus.

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For context, the No. 1 overall pick, Tennessee Titans signal-caller Cam Ward, has a projection of $48.76 million on his rookie deal with a $32.1 million signing bonus.

The final first-round draft pick, Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Josh Simmons, has a projection of $14.66 million and a $7.3 million signing bonus.

That all being said, Sanders is probably happy the wait is finally over, and he could certainly have a chance to earn a starting QB job soon enough.

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Sanders joins an interesting quarterback room that already includes another rookie in Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, who went No. 94 in the third round on Friday night.

Simply put, the opportunity is there for Sanders to take the job this year or next if he earns it. He may have seen a massive fall down the draft, but that may not stop him from being a QB1 in time.

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Cleveland has been desperate to finally find a long-term QB1. Baker Mayfield was as close as the Browns have gotten since the team returned to the league in 1999, but he only lasted four seasons (2018-2021) before the Browns parted ways with him for Deshaun Watson.

In hindsight, that move drastically backfired on the Browns, as evidenced by Mayfield's success in Tampa Bay and Watson's failure in Cleveland.

But the Browns can hope that Sanders or Gabriel could be an answer here. And if not, they can go back to the drawing board in 2026.

Shedeur Sanders' Reaction to Being Drafted by Browns Revealed in Live Stream Video

Paul Kasabian
Apr 26, 2025
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 28 Valero Alamo Bowl - BYU vs Colorado

At long last, quarterback Shedeur Sanders was selected with the No. 144 overall pick in the NFL draft on Saturday when the Cleveland Browns chose him in the fifth round.

Sanders, understandably, was elated that the wait ended.

It was a stunning fall for Sanders, long considered a first-round prospect throughout the pre-draft process.

In the beginning, Sanders was seen as a potential No. 1 overall pick in a battle with Miami's Cam Ward. Eventually, Ward took the QB1 mantle, and the Tennessee Titans' eventual choice at No. 1 seemed all but certain.

But Sanders was still projected as a top-three pick at spots, especially with the Browns and New York Giants both having quarterback needs and selecting second and third overall.

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But there seemed to be a stark shift in that philosophy during the pre-draft season. A top-three choice was watered down to a Round 1 pick, but Sanders was still seen as a largely safe bet by most to go in the top 32. Popular spots included the New Orleans Saints at No. 9 and Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21.

That never happened. Day 2 arrived, and Sanders still waited. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints selected quarterback Tyler Shough at No. 40 overall, and the Seattle Seahawks took Jalen Milroe at No. 92.

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Sanders isn't even the first quarterback the Browns selected, with Cleveland picking Oregon's Dillon Gabriel at No. 94.Now he joins a packed house.

Most important for Sanders, though, he finally has an NFL home. Now the drive to prove teams wrong begins in earnest.

Shedeur Sanders Drafted by Browns, NFL Fans Praise Pick as Steal After Historic Slide

Zach Bachar
Apr 26, 2025
SHEDEUR SANDERS

Shedeur Sanders' slide in the 2025 NFL draft finally ended Saturday.

The Colorado quarterback was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick, No. 6 of the fifth round.

Fans and analysts discussed Sanders' outlook with the Browns, heralding the selection as a major steal:

Sanders immediately received some encouragement from his new teammate in Browns four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward, who challenged Sanders to "be legendary" in a post on X:

Throughout the predraft process, Sanders was widely viewed as the second-best quarterback in the class by most experts behind only Miami's Cam Ward, who went first overall to the Tennessee Titans.

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Despite that, several quarterbacks came off the board before him, including Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart in the first round, Louisville's Tyler Shough in the second round, and Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel in the third round.

Sanders falling to Day 2 was surprising enough, but dropping to Day 3 was almost unthinkable.

He didn't have a short wait on Saturday either, as he had to sit through the entire fourth round before finally coming off the board in the early fifth.

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There was a time when the Browns were considered a candidate to take Sanders second overall, so landing him much later in the fifth round is a spectacular value regardless of potential concerns about his attitude or lack of mobility.

Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year last season and finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting by virtue of completing 74.0 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

The Browns' quarterback situation is a mess, as Deshaun Watson may miss the entire 2025 season due to a torn Achilles.

Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco are the top veteran quarterbacks on the roster, and Cleveland added both Gabriel and Sanders in the draft.

Despite being a fifth-round pick, Sanders could vie for and win the starting job as soon as his rookie season, which arguably makes Cleveland the ideal landing spot even after a harrowing tumble.

Dillon Gabriel Picked by Browns Before Shedeur Sanders, Stuns Fans During NFL Draft

Paul Kasabian
Apr 25, 2025
Oregon Football Pro Day

The Cleveland Browns selected Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel with the No. 94 overall pick in the NFL draft on Friday.

Gabriel played 64 games over six collegiate seasons for UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon, throwing for 155 touchdowns and running for 33 more.

He finished third in the Heisman Trophy race last year, leading the Ducks to a 13-1 record, a Big Ten title and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, where they fell in the quarterfinals to eventual national champion Ohio State.

Gabriel was sensational, completing 72.9 percent of his passes for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 149 yards and seven more scores.

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The 5'11", 205-pound Gabriel was ranked as the No. 163 overall player on the B/R NFL Scouting Department big board and No. 10 QB.

Browns executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry provided some insight on the choice.

Gabriel is undoubtedly a talented college and uber-productive player who could very well have a bright future in the NFL. The Browns needed a young quarterback to potentially be their signal-caller of the future, and he can get that chance. He joins a QB room with 18-year veteran Joe Flacco and fourth-year pro Kenny Pickett.

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So credit to Gabriel for putting in the work and earning a Day 2 draft selection. On a side note to that, the elephant in the room was that Shedeur Sanders, once deemed a potential top-three overall draft pick and an assured Round 1 choice at worst, continued his slide.

Fans reacted to the Gabriel pick and the Browns, a QB-needy team, passing on Sanders again.

Gabriel was the fifth QB chosen in the draft, behind Cam Ward (Tennessee Titans, No. 1), Jaxson Dart (New York Giants, No. 25), Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints, No. 40) and Jalen Milroe (Seattle Seahawks, No. 92).

Quinshon Judkins Missed Browns Draft Call in Viral Video After Going No. 36 Overall

Jack Murray
Apr 25, 2025
NFL Combine Football

Cleveland Browns draft pick Quinshon Judkins had to wait a few seconds longer to find out where he was headed in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Ohio State running back left his draft room and when the Browns called to congratulate him for selecting him, his mother was the one who answered the phone.

Judkins entered the draft as the No. 55 overall player and the No. 4 running back in the 2025 NFL draft by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. He rushed for 1,060 yards on 190 carries and had 14 touchdowns for the Buckeyes in 2024.

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He joins a Browns team that went 3-14 in 2024 and was led by Jerome Ford's 565 rushing yards. 2018 second-round pick Nick Chubb experienced significant success with the franchise, and the team will hope Judkins can continue that tradition.

While he may not have been the first one to answer the phone, he is still headed to Cleveland and will join defensive tackle Mason Graham and linebacker Carson Schwesinger in the draft class.

Browns Draft Mason Graham, Applauded by NFL Fans After Surprising Trade with Jaguars

Scott Polacek
Apr 24, 2025
Fresno St Michigan Football

The Cleveland Browns certainly made some noise in the early going of Thursday's NFL draft.

First, Cleveland traded the No. 2 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of a deal that landed it the No. 5 pick this year and a first-rounder next year. Then, it ended up with one of the best defensive players in the entire draft with that No. 5 selection.

The Browns picked Michigan defensive tackle Mason Grahan at No. 5, which should help solidify the middle of their defensive front for years to come.

Naturally, the pick drew plenty of reaction from social media:

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The Graham pick will forever be tied to the trade that ended up with Jacksonville getting Travis Hunter at No. 2. If Hunter becomes a two-way star at the NFL level like he was while taking home the Heisman Trophy at Colorado, Browns fans will surely bemoan the deal.

However, Cleveland also got plenty back in return and ended up with a defensive difference-maker of its own in Graham.

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Graham was an All-American this past season and a key part of the Wolverines team that won the College Football Playoff national championship during the 2023 campaign. Fans in Cleveland who also cheer for Ohio State on Saturdays will surely be familiar with his game considering he starred for the Buckeyes' chief rivals.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked Graham as the third-best overall player and best defensive lineman in its final big board of prospects. It also listed Graham as the best pass-rusher and run-stopper.

That is quite the combination for a defensive tackle, and he will look to live up to the hype in Cleveland.

Browns Reportedly Want to Keep No. 33 Pick Amid 2025 NFL Draft, Trade Rumors

Doric Sam
Apr 24, 2025
Chargers Browns Football

The Cleveland Browns are in a premium position with the first pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, and they reportedly have no plans to give it up in a deal involving the second overall pick.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Browns "would prefer" to keep the No. 33 pick because of the "Day 2 leverage that pick affords."

While the Browns are holding a tight grip on their second-round pick, the same can't be said for their first-round selection. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported that Cleveland has been fielding "substantial calls" from teams looking to trade up to the No. 2 pick. While the team hasn't yet received an offer it would accept, a final decision has not yet been made on whether it will hold onto the pick.

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Wolfe added that the Jacksonville Jaguars, who own the No. 5 pick, have been mentioned as a team interested in trading up to No. 2.

The Tennessee Titans are universally expected to use the No. 1 pick to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward. It would be a surprise if the Browns pass up on the opportunity to take Colorado's Travis Hunter or Penn State's Abdul Carter, who likely won't be on the board if the Cleveland trades down to fifth slot.

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B/R's NFL Scouting Department predicted in its mock draft that the Browns would select Hunter with the No. 2 pick. Hunter can play both wide receiver and cornerback, setting him apart from any other player in this year's draft class and earning him the top spot in the department's draft big board.

Perhaps Cleveland is simply exploring its options, but it sounds like the right deal could convince the franchise to move a few spots down the draft order on Thursday night.

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