Finally — finally — Shedeur Sanders got the call for which he had waited two days as America watched.
No pranks this time.
The Browns ended Sanders’ misery in the fifth round of the draft, trading up to take him 144th overall on Saturday, some 40 hours after Sanders was widely projected to go, albeit to a team connected to the Colorado quarterback from the start.
Sanders is the second quarterback the Browns took in the draft after Cleveland added Dillon Gabriel at 94th overall, and the fifth quarterback in a room which also includes Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Deshaun Watson.
“We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position,” Browns GM Andrew Berry told reporters. “We felt like it got to a point where his price relative to the draft where the acquisition cost was pretty light. It’s a guy we think can outproduce his draft stock. I wouldn’t say it’s any more than that. Obviously, Shedeur has grown up in the spotlight, but our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete.
“Nothing’s been promised, nothing will be given, so I hesitate to characterize it as a blockbuster. That’s not necessarily how we thought of the transaction, but we are excited to [welcome him].”
Sanders, who was streaming his reaction on Twitch, did a jig upon hearing his name called.
“Thank you GOD,” he posted on X.
While nobody in Cleveland’s quarterback quintet could exactly be described as a superstar, the sheer abundance the Browns have at the position going into camp certainly opens up the question of whether Sanders — at one point viewed as the potential first overall pick — will make the team’s 53-man roster. It’s generally rare that teams carry more than three quarterbacks into the regular season.
Sanders does have precipitous talent, but question marks surrounding aspects of his game — accuracy, arm strength and athleticism, for a start — combined with an atтιтude that apparently caused Sanders to blow a number of interviews during the predraft process and what’s anticipated to be an off-field circus surrounding him all contributed to one of the biggest NFL draft slides in memory.
“I’m here ready to work,” Sanders told reporters, seemingly alluding to the discussion surrounding him. “The opportunity to see the real me and not stuff that might not be true.”
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The Giants, for example, were one team that spent significant time scouting Sanders and were connected with him at the third overall pick. But according to The Ringer’s Todd McShay, Sanders’ personality turned off the team’s brᴀss during private interviews — and the Giants are not believed to be the only team to which that applies.
Berry did offer up some praise of Sanders on Friday night, ultimately foreshadowing the deal that saw Cleveland trade the 166th and 192nd picks to Seattle for the chance to draft him.
“The time we spent with Shedeur and what he’s done throughout his college career is impressive,” Berry told reporters. “He’s an impressive young man. He’s a really good quarterback.
“… I would also say this: There are four more rounds in the draft. And then maybe lastly is: It’s less about where you get picked than what you do after you get picked. That’s the most important thing.”
According to ESPN’s Pete Schrager, the Browns spent extensive time meeting with Sanders throughout the draft process, and that late in the draft, felt comfortable taking him.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also added that both Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave have strong relationships with Deion Sanders, who coached son Shedeur at Colorado.
The muddled state of Cleveland’s quarterback room will likely amplify the circus aspect of Sanders in training camp, as there will immediately be fans calling for him to be the starting quarterback.
At least right now, however, it appears Sanders has an uphill climb to make the roster, let alone be the Week 1 starter.
