Shedeur Sanders Celebrates With Family After Being Drafted By The Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns drafted former Jackson State and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. After a tumultuous two days of waiting for Sanders who lands with the franchise that most pundits believed would select him in the first round.

The Sanders family celebrated only the way the Sanders family could do so after receiving the call from the Browns. He danced to a gospel church song with his brothers, Deion Jr., Shilo, and younger sister Shelomi.

Sanders will compete in a crowded quarterback room againts veterans Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and rookie Dillon Gabriel. After selecting Gabriel as the 94th pick in the 3rd round, it’s a mystery why they did an about-face to draft Sanders.

Nonetheless, he will have an opportunity to fight for a roster spot on an NFL team.

Additional Shedeur Sanders coverage…

Likely, the best college quarterback in the 2025 National Football League Draft has been used as an example for the league’s decision-makers. Blacklisting Shedeur Sanders has many an element to analyze. First, we must understand how and why NFL owners, general managers, and coaches focus on selecting a player.

Draft selections have significant financial value for NFL franchises. A first-round, second-round, and even a third-round choice at quarterback could be perceived as a possible “franchise quarterback” in today’s league.

Another day another opportunity to get a chance to play the game I love. Thank you GOD (Ahead of Day 3)

– Shedeur Sanders

We’ve witnessed Russell Wilson’s ascension from a third-round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft to the starting signal-caller after outperforming Seattle’s prized free-agent signing, Matt Flynn, in preseason action. The following season, Wilson led the Seahawks to defeat Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, 43-8, in Super Bowl XLVIII.

The significance wasn’t just Wilson was a better quarterback while Seattle had more invested in Flynn; he also had the overall demeanor of a franchise quarterback.

Even if should view the top HBCU quarterbacks selected by professional football teams in prior drafts, James “Shack” Harris, Eldridge Dickey, Doug Williams, and Steve McNair were the best selections, but also safe selections as men who could become the “Face of the Franchise.”

Shedeur Sanders’s entire collegiate career is noteworthy. He has outperformed Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe, and Dillon Gabriel – but for the ownerships and their stewards, that’s not the issue with Sanders.

Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING

– Shedeur Sanders

The debate over whether the players chosen ahead of Sanders are “better fits” for the position remains ongoing. The real question is about the perception that Sanders would bring the flamboyance and distractions associated with his father’s legacy, which is not true today. It wasn’t the case at Jackson State and Colorado, so why are owners, general managers, and coaches afraid?

Cowardice at the highest levels of the National Football League is a real issue. If you are a coach or in a leadership position and are unwilling to draft a talented player due to bias or negative commentary, you shouldn’t be in that role. This profession is not for the faint of heart.

Will Shedeur Sanders completely fall out of the 2025 NFL Draft? I doubt it. Nonetheless, the conspiracy theories suggesting collusion and a deliberate attempt to “send a message” to Sanders have encountered some resistance.

The decision now lies with the 32 team executives on Day 3 of the draft. While it might be too late to make the right choice, it’s never too late to make the smart one. Draft Shedeur Sanders.