Shedeur Sanders: From Late-Round Pick to Season-End Starter

Young Horn
2 days ago
3 min read

Why the Browns took Sanders

Sanders was selected 144th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft — a surprising slide given his college résumé. He’d thrown for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and completed 74.0% of his passes in his final college season.
The front office evidently saw that as strong value: they traded up to grab him, believing “he was mis-priced relative to the draft.”
At the time, the Browns entered 2025 with a crowded QB room (including a veteran, more experienced QBs, and another rookie), but they liked Sanders’ upside.

The turbulent QB carousel — and how Sanders rose

Originally, the Browns had a deep QB room: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, rookie Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders were all in the mix.
Flacco opened 2025 as the starter; Gabriel took over when Flacco struggled.
Gabriel’s concussion (in Week 11) opened the door for Sanders to get serious snaps.
After three straight starts, head coach Kevin Stefanski officially named Sanders the starter for the remainder of the season.

Early returns: mixed, but promising

In the three starts before the announcement, Sanders completed 50 of 87 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns.
His best game came this weekend against the Titans: 23-of-42, 364 yards, three passing TDs, one rushing TD — showing an ability to deliver chunk plays through the air and contribute with his legs.
Per coach Stefanski, Sanders has “consistently improved” in his pocket presence, footwork, and overall poise.
That said, there are still rough patches: over four games, Sanders has thrown three interceptions and taken eight sacks.

Why the Browns committed — and what to watch

The decision to stick with Sanders to close out the season is less about “he’s perfect” and more about “he’s our best bet now — and he’s growing.” As Stefanski put it, Sanders has shown the work ethic and development trajectory the team wants.

For the rest of the season, what to watch: consistency (can he limit turnovers and avoid sacks?), decision-making under pressure, and how he handles the film-study / preparation side of being a starter every week.

If he shows growth — even incremental — it could vindicate the gamble the Browns took drafting him in Round 5.

🧩 The 2025 Browns Draft Class — Early Returns & Impact

The 2025 draft class for Cleveland was modest in size (seven overall picks) but aimed at fixing several roster holes.

Here are a few of the standouts so far:

Dylan Sampson (RB, Round 4, pick 126): A productive college back — and now in Cleveland, contributing to a backfield that’s suddenly deeper and more versatile.
Quinshon Judkins (RB, Round 2, pick 36): Projected as a feature back, adding to a running-back room that wants to emphasize the ground game.
Mason Graham (DT, Round 1): A high-upside defensive lineman — early signs point to him being a foundational piece for the Browns’ run defense and pass-rush plans.

In fact, one local midseason evaluation graded the rookie class (including Sanders) as showing “more promise than pessimism,” highlighting growth, flashes of impact, and a sense of overall team development even in a tough season.

Importantly, drafting two running backs (Judkins + Sampson) signals a commitment to playing downhill — which could help whoever is under center.

🚦 So … How Do Things Look, Really?

For Sanders: There’s no mask: he’s still very much a work in progress. Turnovers, sacks, and uneven accuracy remain concerns. That said — for a fifth-round rookie thrust into starting duty partway through a chaotic season? The upside is real. The Week-14 performance suggests he has the tools: arm talent, ability to make explosive plays, and enough poise to lead a drive under pressure.

For the Browns’ rebuild: The 2025 draft doesn’t scream “instant contender,” but it shows methodical value — hitting on defensive front strength, running game weapons, and cheap potential at quarterback. If the rookies keep trending up, this could be one of those drafts that quietly sets a foundation.

What’s next: The final four games will matter a lot — not just for wins, but for assessing whether Sanders can be a building block at QB. Similarly, increased playing time for the 2025 class will start showing whether the team’s strategy is panning out or if they’ll need to double down in future drafts.