Browns Couldn’t Pass Up Value Of Shedeur Sanders Pick

It wasn’t a surprise that Shedeur Sanders ended up in Cleveland by the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. After all, the Browns had a glaring need at quarterback and extensively scouted the Colorado product during the pre-draft process.

The real shocker was that the Browns landed Sanders on Day 3 after already picking a quarterback in the third round.

The team arrived at the conclusion that Sanders wasn’t worth the No. 2 pick, per Daniel Oyefusi and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, but he was still considered a potential target late in the first round or early in the second. That especially seemed like the case when the Browns added extra draft capital in their trade with the Jaguars, positioning them to add a quarterback on Day 2.

That theory turned out to be half-right. Cleveland drafted a QB with the 94th overall pick, but it was Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, not Sanders. His slide continued into Day 3, where the Browns decided his value was too good to pass up. They traded up to the 144th pick to select Sanders, ending his fall and landing a potential future starter in the fifth round.

“We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft,” said Berry after the pick (via Oyefusi). “Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it’s a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot.”

Drafting Gabriel made it seem like they had no intention of bringing Sanders to Cleveland. Browns personnel believed that other teams had a Day 2 grade on the polarizing prospect and were thus surprised when he fell past the third round. When Sanders’ name wasn’t called early on Day 3, general manager Andrew Berry started working the phones to move up, even after selecting Gabriel the day before

Cleveland’s front office didn’t spend time reevaluating Sanders’ talent or reassessing his ranking on their board. Nor were they pushed by team owner Jimmy Haslem to make the pick, at least according to Berry.

Instead, according to Oyefusi, Berry “worked hard to trade up” and eventually delivered the news to Sanders via video call. His father, Hall of Fame cornerback and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, later called Berry as well after getting to know each other during the pre-draft process. Deion also has a good relationship with Browns quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave after playing together for the 49ers in 1994.

Deion’s legacy loomed large during the months leading up to the draft. He famously rejected a written test from the Giants during his own pre-draft interviews in 1989, confidently (and correctly) asserting that he would be drafted long before New York was on the clock.

That attitude seemed to carry over to his son. During and after Shedeur Sanders’ fall, reports emerged that he struggled in his interviews and visits with teams, especially the Giants. According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Sanders approached his meetings with prospective future employers as if he was being “recruited” as opposed to being “interviewed.” That caused him to be wiped from several teams’ boards, including the Steelers.

Despite persistent links throughout March and April, Sanders was never a “real option” for Pittsburgh, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show. The Steelers were more interested in Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard and Ohio State’s Will Howard, the latter of whom they drafted in the sixth round.

Sanders’ interactions with the Browns were reportedly more positive than with other teams, giving Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski the confidence that adding one of the most talked-about prospects of the year could only help their uncertain quarterback situation. Cleveland has no clear starter for 2025 or beyond, giving Sanders an opportunity he may not have had with another other team.

If the Browns can turn a fifth-round pick into a franchise quarterback, they’ll have cleared a major hurdle in recovering from the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade and bringing the team back to competitive relevancy.

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