Before the 2025 NFL Draft, many expected Shedeur Sanders to be a highly selected prospect and a mainstay in the league. But after falling to the Cleveland Browns in the 5th round, things have taken a turn for the worse for Deion Sanders’ son. The situation is so bad that NFL veterans like Robert Griffin III and Marcellus Wiley believe it would’ve been better if Shedeur had gone undrafted altogether.
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Let’s break down the situation facing the 23-year-old QB. For starters, the Browns currently have veteran Joe Flacco at the helm, and he will almost certainly start in 2025. Deshaun Watson remains uncertain as he recovers from injury, but he could also make a return. That means Shedeur’s path to securing the starting gig won’t be easy — and that’s not all.
The Browns also drafted QB Dillon Gabriel in the 3rd round, ahead of Shedeur. While Gabriel may be less explosive, the selection speaks volumes. Perhaps the Browns don’t fully believe in Shedeur just yet. And if you listen to Robert Griffin III, it’s a “sink or swim” situation for the rookie. Not so surprisingly, Marcellus Wiley backed the former Heisman winner’s assessment.
“That draft position, 5th round, I don’t think you guys understand what that position means in terms of weight and currency in the locker room,” Wiley said. “But, not much. It’s almost worse to be a 5th-rounder than to be undrafted.”
It’s a confusing statement when you first read it. Wouldn’t you want to be on a team after draft day rather than sell yourself to teams to get a shot? Well, Wiley doesn’t think so, and his reasoning makes sense.
Wiley says that undrafted players can pick where they want to go and find the best situation, while drafted players—especially those picked late—have to immediately fit in and carve out a role, which can sometimes be harder and lead to mini-camp cuts.
Making the 53-man roster is never easy for those players, unlike first- and second-round picks who are drafted to fill a hole and are almost never cut.
“5th rounders? That’s when it starts to get to you,” Wiley pointed out. “You’re in a position where they thought something of you, but so little of you that they took you in the 5th round. Where if you were undrafted, you could’ve picked the best situation for you. You would hold some of the cards because you knew some of the issues they had at that position.”
Wiley was a second-round draft pick in the 1997 NFL Draft. If there’s anyone who understands how the logistics of draft picks work, it’s him.
So, Shedeur indeed faces an uphill battle. Joe Flacco appears to be the de facto starter despite his age, thanks to his experience. Kenny Pickett looks like the de facto backup, given that the Browns traded for him.
But hey, how enticing are Browns preseason games going to be now? And as Wiley points out, Shedeur only has three games — not four — to prove he belongs on the team. Every snap will carry weight. Now we’ll see: is he just a product of nepotism, or does he truly have the skills to make it in the NFL?
