Why Drafting Shedeur Sanders Would Be A Huge Mistake For The Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are still looking for an answer to their question at quarterback. They are one of the teams with the shortest odds of drafting Colorado signal caller Shedeur Sanders, who may be the most polarizing prospect in the NFL Draft Class of 2025. But doing something like spending a top-ten pick might not be the best idea for the future of the franchise.

Should The Browns Even Consider Drafting Shedeur Sanders?

They almost certainly won’t select Sanders with the second overall pick. It stands to reason that they would want to upgrade from the current pairing of Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, but Sanders just simply isn’t worth a top-3 pick. There are other elite talents that don’t carry the same question marks, and the Browns are in perfect position to select a generational athletic talent in Travis Hunter.

For a team that has needs all over the roster, it will be tough for them to pass up on an elite player at a position like offensive line, wide receiver, or edge rusher at no.2.

“It certainly feels like his range … is three to 21, and I don’t like the chances of him going nine.”@AdamSchefter on where Shedeur Sanders could land in the NFL draft 👀 pic.twitter.com/dOso3aIlhT

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 17, 2025

So if the Browns wanted to have another shot at selecting Shedeur Sanders with a later pick, they’d likely have to trade up. But how far would they need to move up the draft board? It really all depends on the Saints. New Orleans is the favorite to draft Sanders with the 9th overall pick, and he seems like a logical choice for the franchise given the current happenings.

If they plan on taking him in, it would cost the Browns something like a first rounder in next year’s draft (and more) in order to move up into the top eight. For a rebuilding team, the price would simply be too steep.

Offensive Line Woes Would Follow Sanders To The NFL

Another reason would be the current state of the offensive line. Cleveland allowed their quarterbacks to be sacked 66 times in 2024, then second most in the NFL and just two fewer than the Chicago Bears. Their current depth chart features many of the same players who made up the front line last season, and it doesn’t appear that there will be much improvement for the upcoming campaign in that respect.

A poor offensive line certainly doesn’t make the situation any better for Sanders, whose weaknesses are highlighted by a leaky front. One of his biggest knocks are his tendencies as the passing pocket collapses, as he is known to hold on to the ball for too long and take unnecessary sacks. And while he isn’t immobile, he doesn’t have the escapability to remedy the issue, especially at the NFL level.

Shedeur Sanders is no stranger to playing behind a below-average front line, as he was sacked 94 times during his two years at Colorado. It played into the struggles that the talented team endured, and would be an even bigger issue for Sanders in the professional ranks.