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The Shedeur Sanders saga has finally come to an end.
With the 144th pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Sanders, making him the sixth quarterback taken off of the board.
It was a major slide for Sanders, who came into the draft ranked as a top-three quarterback behind Cam Ward, and in competition with Jaxson Dart for the second spot.
Ward, of course, was the first overall pick to the Titans, while Dart was next to the Giants at No. 25. Tyler Shough was then the next QB taken at No. 40 to the Saints, followed by Jalen Milroe in Round 3 to the Seahawks, and Dillon Gabrielle to the Browns in the third as well.
In 2023 with Colorado, Sanders threw for over 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns with only three interceptions. In 2024, he blew those stats out of the water, leading Colorado to an 8-4 record while passing for 4,134 yards and 37 scores with 10 interceptions.
So that production was there.
The problem, however, seems to center around character, and questions surrounding his athleticism and arm strength at the NFL level.
"The worst formal interview I've ever been in in my life. He's so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks," an anonymous AFC executive told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero before the draft. "He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. ... But the biggest thing is, he's not that good. It didn't go great in our interview. He wants to dictate what he's going to do and what's best for him. He makes you feel small."
There is also a chance that his lack of success in terms of wins on the field in Colorado could have played a role in his slide as well. Colorado went just 13-12 over two seasons with Sanders under center, and failed to win a bowl game or compete for a conference title.
Now he will have a chance to come in to Cleveland and compete for the starting job with Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, while Deshaun Watson is sidelined for the season with an injury.
