Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns held the second overall pick, virtually free to take any player that they wanted. In need of a quarterback, despite the signing of Joe Flacco, there were many who believed the Browns would take one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class with that selection.
Instead, though, they traded the pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who used it to select Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. In return, Cleveland received the fifth overall pick as well as a first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
With the selection of defensive tackle Mason Graham with the fifth pick, the Browns unexpectedly kicked off the Shedeur Sanders watch. Not only was Sanders, at one time, considered a top-five pick, he was also believed to be one of the best quarterbacks in the draft.
The Cleveland Browns Did Not Draft Shedeur Sanders Until the Fifth Round of the 2025 NFL Draft
Not only did the Browns pass on Sanders in the first round, but they passed on him in every round leading up to the fifth. As many fans already know, they even drafted a different quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, in the third as more and more NFL teams allowed the Colorado Buffaloes star to slide.
This fall, of course, was one of the biggest storylines during the draft itself. The prank call controversy, which turned out to have been spearheaded by Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, only added to the drama.
Both before and after Sanders was finally taken by Cleveland with the 144th overall pick, NFL insiders cited anonymous scouts and coaches from within the league that blamed the fall on the quarterback’s poor interviews, lack of participation in the combine, and his perceived level of arrogance.
Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry Explained Why They Drafted Shedeur Sanders in the Fifth Round
In a recent report by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Browns general manager Andrew Berry revealed that the reason the Browns did not draft Sanders in the first round was because they did not think he was worth a first round pick. That being said, they had a much higher grade on him than a fifth round selection and were thrilled that they were able to take him there:
“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks. But as we talk about, we do believe in best player available, we do believe in positional value, and we didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round. We love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with the guys that are already in there. We felt like that was the appropriate thing to do.”
For Sanders, he will need to fight for a job with Cleveland who already have Flacco and Gabriel. The good news for him, though, is that there is no clear-cut Week One starter for the Browns, and he can prove all his doubters wrong by putting his foot forward and earning (and keeping) the starting job.
More Cleveland Browns News from Gridiron Heroics
- “I’ve Never Done That;” Everyone Is Calling Shedeur Sanders a Liar After Public Statement
- Mason Graham Confronts Browns’ Post-NFL Draft Reality Involving Shedeur Sanders
- Browns Bet on Mason Graham Despite Weight Concerns
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