What's next and why the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders?

The Cleveland Browns traded their 166th and 192nd picks to the Seattle Seahawks to select Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the 144th overall pick on Saturday, ending one of the most shocking slides in NFL draft history. A free fall that saw Sanders, regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the class, go from being a potential first-round pick to a Day 3 selection came to an end with this selection. During the predraft process, the Browns spent a lot of time with Sanders. A large group of Browns coaches, executives, and the ownership group went to Boulder, Colorado, to have dinner with him and Travis Hunter, a former teammate, the night before their pro day workout. Sanders now arrives in Cleveland, though much later than many people expected. Sanders's arrival coincides with a turning point in the Browns' history. Last month, owner Jimmy Haslam called the team's 2022 trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, which cost Cleveland three first-rounders and a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract, a "big swing-and-miss." It marked the first time anyone within the organization publicly acknowledged that the trade failed, despite three seasons of evidence on the field. Since joining Cleveland, Watson has been one of the league's worst quarterbacks. He is expected to miss a lot of the 2025 season because of a right Achilles injury that he suffered in 2024 and then re-tore in the offseason. After selecting Oregon's Dillon Gabriel in the third round, Sanders is the Browns' second quarterback selection in the 2025 draft. Sanders joins a remodeled quarterback room that also includes Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, both of whom were added this offseason.

Daniel Oyefusi, a Browns reporter, provides responses to the most pressing inquiries regarding the team's decision to select a second quarterback from the draft. Additionally, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler provides information on

Why did the Browns select Sanders after drafting Gabriel?

Picking Gabriel over Sanders in the third round was a widespread surprise but the Browns trading up to take Sanders two rounds later usurped that. It came down to maximizing value with a pick at the game's most crucial position, according to general manager Andrew Berry. Berry on Saturday acknowledged that he didn't enter the draft expecting to take two quarterbacks but was flexible as it unfolded. He talked to his staff on Day 3 about the possibility of going after Sanders if he continued to fall in the draft. Berry stated that he ultimately decided there was too much value in selecting Sanders to pass up after teams selected multiple Browns candidates. "Once it got to a point where it felt like it was a pretty steep discount, we just felt like, especially relative to the alternative ways that we could use this selection, this made the most sense," Berry said. -- Oyefusi

What caused Sanders' slide in the draft?

After Day 1, Sanders was unable to find a home in the NFL due to the lack of elite talent. It's harder to explain the second slide. It was clear that the league spoke: Teams were unhappy with Sanders and everything about his draft profile. Yes, whispers persisted that his predraft process did not go well, particularly his interviews. But as a few people inside the league have surmised, slides happen when talent doesn't match or surpass potential drawbacks. Teams hate distractions. His ability at the next level was not sufficiently intoxicating to counteract all of that, even if they had the impression that Sanders' presence would be one for some reason. In addition, this was a problem with logistics. Three teams that made the most sense -- the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints -- liked other options better. Once the third round hit, there was a scarcity of teams in need of a passer. -- Fowler

What are people around the league saying about Sanders' slide?

That he reached the fifth round is somewhat absurd. While many evaluators graded him as a Day 2 pick, I've talked to multiple personnel evaluators I trust who graded him as a late first-rounder. They think the Browns are in a good spot because they didn't have a proven starter. Sanders is a good stylist for Stefanski's offense. He can thrive on action in the game. One obstacle for Sanders is that the Browns selected Gabriel two rounds earlier than he did. All of this demonstrates how narrow the predraft process's margins are. In what's considered a weaker quarterback class, perceptions varied wildly by team. Because of the importance of fitness and the lack of job opportunities, quarterbacks can fall further than other positions. A talented passer like Sanders could be hurt by this and a shaky predraft process. -- Fowler

What are Sanders' prospects for playing time in 2025?

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that anyone who is added to the quarterback room will be expected to compete for starting time. With Flacco, a former first-round pick, Pickett, and Gabriel, another rookie adjusting to the pros, Sanders enters a four-man race. The Browns fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and promoted tight ends coach and passing game specialist Tommy Rees to fill the vacancy after an unsuccessful attempt to adapt the offense to Watson. As a result, the team is rebuilding its offense using four new passers. However, Flacco is familiar with Stefanski from his time as a starter in Cleveland at the end of the 2023 season, when he went 4-1 and won Comeback Player of the Year honors. Oyefusi quoted Stefanski as saying, "Obviously you may not divide [the practice reps] 25, 25, 25, but we feel really confident that we'll have a plan that is fair to each player and the team as well." --

Does this officially close the book on the Watson era in Cleveland?

The Browns have said Watson's health status makes his future uncertain. His five-year contract has two more years left, and the Browns owe him $46 million for each of the next two seasons. However, the team has been operating under the assumption that he will not be available for the 2025 season, and its most recent actions demonstrate an effort to change quarterback. After Watson's inclusion on the roster for the 2025 season, the team will have to decide whether to part ways with him and deal with the associated financial costs. Releasing Watson after the 2025 season with a post-June-1 designation -- a salary cap mechanism that allows teams to cut players and divide the remaining dead cap charges into two seasons -- would leave the Browns with a $135 million dead cap charge that could be split between the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Consider that the Denver Broncos' decision to let go of quarterback Russell Wilson in March 2024 resulted in an NFL-record dead cap hit of $85 million. If the Browns parted ways with Watson after the 2026 season, the dead money would drop to $53 million. -- Oyefusi

How important is figuring out the QB situation to Stefanski and Berry's future?

It is crucial. When they arrived in 2020, the duo inherited quarterback Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, and developed him into a quality starter who helped break the franchise's 17-year playoff win drought. However, the relationship with the organization soured, which led them to trade for Watson; Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers months later.Since then, eight different quarterbacks have started for the Browns, including four during the 2024 season. Despite Cleveland's 3-14 record last season, Haslam expressed confidence in Berry and Stefanski by awarding them extensions last offseason for leading the team to the playoffs twice in four years. He also admitted responsibility for the Watson deal and stated that he would not compel his decision-making team to select a quarterback. However, they now have two young quarterbacks who might be able to provide the franchise with a replacement at the position. Haslam has asked for patience but said he expects the team to compete in 2025. -- Oyefusi

What are the Browns getting with Sanders on the field?

Sanders is tough mentally and physically. He takes big hits to make plays and can elevate his game in critical situations. He held onto the ball too long and tried to make too much happen in 2024, but he has shown the ability to get the ball out and pick defenses apart with short to intermediate passes over the course of his career. Given enough time and space, Sanders is able to throw receivers open, hold safeties with his eyes, and complete his progressions. He keeps his eyes downfield as he moves around the pocket, and he makes off-platform throws. When he gets the ball out on time and with anticipation, he can pass into tight windows because his arm is strong enough to make every throw. He can also rush for first downs. Stefanski has had success coaching accurate quarterbacks like Case Keenum and Kirk Cousins in the past. Muench: Both Sanders and Gabriel fit the mold and can compete.

WRITTED BY ME