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The wait is finally over for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, as the Browns selected him with the No. 144 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, was widely expected to be a first- or second-round pick but instead fell all the way to the fifth round and was selected behind five other quarterbacks.
The Browns gave up picks 166 and 192 to trade up 22 spots with the Seattle Seahawks for the right to select Sanders.
Sanders now presumably gets a chance to develop and compete in a quarterback room that includes the injured Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett (acquired via trade), Joe Flacco (signed in April) and Dillon Gabriel (third-round pick). It’s a far cry from where Sanders likely expected to be coming into this weekend, but he’s still getting his NFL opportunity.
Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft grade: A+
“The excruciatingly long wait is over. At this point, the value was simply far too good for the Browns to pass on this thrower. Sanders is a pocket quarterback who wins with anticipation and great, not elite, accuracy. Pocket navigation skill is mostly a plus. Cautious decision-maker. His arm strength is solid and he has problems eluding pressure in the pocket because of heavy feet. Love this opportunity for Sanders.” — Chris Trapasso
Sanders may have believed he was the best quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft class, but NFL teams apparently felt otherwise. After going unselected in the first round on Thursday night, Sanders was also completely overlooked in Round 2, when Louisville’s Tyler Shough became the next quarterback to come off the board. Then all of Round 3 also passed without his name being called.
Jalen Milroe, meanwhile, became the fourth quarterback off the board when the Seattle Seahawks drafted the Alabama star at No. 92 overall. Two picks later, the Browns selected Gabriel, the Oregon signal-caller, passing on Sanders for the fourth time in the draft.
Sanders’ dramatic tumble came after CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones indicated there wasn’t necessarily a strong market for the Colorado signal-caller early in Day 2, despite several quarterback-needy teams like the Cleveland Browns owning picks to kick off the second round. The Steelers, who passed on Sanders in the first round at No. 21 overall, also had another chance to secure the passer at No. 83, only to select running back Kaleb Johnson instead.
Sanders has drawn some critiques for his on-field skill set, with some scouts questioning whether he has enough high-level athleticism and upside to be a difference-maker on the NFL stage. A large amount of the public skepticism regarding Sanders, however, has stemmed from his outsized personality as the son of former NFL great Deion Sanders. Shedeur notably argued that NFL teams would be “fools” to pass on him in the draft, insisting during Colorado’s pro day that he was the No. 1 prospect at his position.
Sanders led the nation in completion percentage (74.0%) and leads the nation in career completion percentage for any quarterback (71.8%). He led the Big 12 in passing yards (4,134), passing touchdowns (37), yards per attempt (8.7) and pass yards per game (318.0). Despite those numbers in a weak draft class for quarterbacks, Sanders fell out of the first four rounds.
