Shedeur Sanders has been selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, finally halting his downward slide.
The Browns traded up with the Seattle Seahawks to secure the Colorado quarterback, who was initially viewed as a first-round pick, before experiencing further embarrassment on Friday. A prank call only added insult to injury for the quarterback. He then had to endure more than two hours of waiting to hear his name called on Saturday afternoon.
Cleveland was identified as a team that had shown interest in Sanders and was featured in mock drafts as a franchise that could have taken him second overall. Instead, they waited until the fifth round to bring him on board. Sanders’ drop in the NFL Draft has been one of the most dramatic in recent memory.
The Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the first overall pick, followed by the New York Giants choosing Jaxson Dart later in the first round. Sanders was then the favorite to be chosen with the Browns’ first pick in the second round, before they opted for linebacker Carson Schwesinger, which triggered another slide.
The New Orleans Saints were associated with Sanders with the ninth overall pick and again had the chance to take him at 40th, but instead went with Louisville’s Tyler Shough – with his wife stealing the spotlight.
In the third round, the Seahawks picked quarterback Jalen Milroe, followed by the Browns choosing Dillon Gabriel, which appeared to remove them from the market for another quarterback given their roster already included Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, and Joe Flacco.
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However, the Browns made a surprising move by trading back into the fifth round to draft Sanders, bringing a fifth quarterback into their mix. The former Colorado standout will now compete to show he’s worthy of the starting spot.
Despite the long odds associated with a fifth-round pick, with Deshaun Watson likely sidelined again due to a second Achilles tear, Sanders might have a real chance to lead the team. He is set to participate in the Browns’ rookie mini-camp soon.
After his selection, Shedeur Sanders expressed his gratitude on Shilo Sanders’ Twitch stream: “Thank you everybody for your support. Thank you to the fans. Thank you for the Browns organization for giving me a chance.”
