Andrew Berry explains why Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders in 5th round

Andrew Berry explains why Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders in 5th round

Everyone has their own theory or own explanation as to why former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders wasn’t drafted until the 5th round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

But two rounds after the Cleveland Browns drafted quarterback Dillon Gabriel, they took a flier on Sanders, who was widely viewed as one of the best quarterback prospects in the draft, including being the second-best on Trey’s board heading into the draft.

After the draft concluded, Browns general manager Andrew Berry explained why the team decided to draft Sanders when they did, the last of seven total selections.

“We live by our board, and we felt like he was a good solid prospect at the most important position,” Berry said, according to NFL.com’s Anthony Poisal. “We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mis-priced relative to the draft. The acquisition cost was pretty light, and we think he’s a guy who can outproduce his draft slot.

“Our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete. … Nothing’s given. It really doesn’t matter where you picked, it’s what you do from that point forward. Because that’s the reality for all the guys that we selected this weekend.”

Sanders was one of the most polarizing prospects heading into the weekend. He led the nation in completion percentage last year (74.0), throwing for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He was crucial to Colorado competing for a Big 12 title last season, even though the team fell short of that ultimate goal.

To read more about why our very own Don had him where he did, click here.

Jimmy Haslam: Deshaun Watson’s Browns tenure has been a ‘big swing and miss’

He joins a quarterback room headed by Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco and reigning Super Bowl champ Kenny Pickett. There’s no question that Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, is a bigger personality.

Whether or not he parleys what happened over the last 72 hours into success in a loaded quarterback room is to be determined. He was the sixth quarterback taken in the class–behind Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe and Gabriel.

There’s no doubt that this was a humbling experience for Sanders. But he’s not a bad player. He can turn into a quality NFL quarterback if he can capitalize on this opportunity he’s been afforded–regardless of what happened over the last few days … or months.

***

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out Vendetta Fantasy Contests

Click here for more NFL content