“Maybe They Had a Higher Grade on Dillon Gabriel”: Analyst Reflects on Shedeur Sanders Getting Drafted by Browns

After being heralded as a top 10 pick in his class, Shedeur Sanders endured the biggest slide in the history of the NFL Draft, falling all the way to the 144th overall spot. While the masses have speculated as to what could have caused such a discrepancy between analysts’ predictions and the actual result, just as many are confused by the Cleveland Browns’ decision to draft Dillon Gabriel prior to their selection of Sanders.

As a result, the Browns’ QB room is being viewed as an absolute mess right now. In an attempt to sort through the noise and sort out that mess, the host of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Michael Lucas, did his best in assessing the potential motivations behind Cleveland’s draft strategy.

In suggesting that the pick is both “weird” yet also a “no-brainer for the Browns,” Lucas suggests that the Browns opting for Gabriel first and Sanders second is indicative of their immediate plans for the upcoming 2025 regular season.

“There’s a lot of context that goes into this pick… Before they felt comfortable taking Sanders, they took Dillon Gabriel. That says something to me, that for whatever role they envision that rookie quarterback playing in this season, they thought Dillon Gabriel was more ready to play and a better fit for that specific role… Maybe they had a higher grade on Dillon Gabriel.”

According to Lucas, Cleveland, much like several other times, likely viewed Sanders as a risky investment in the earlier rounds of the draft. However, by the time Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round of the draft, the fear of wasting a high draft pick on him was gone.

Even if Gabriel is the true long-term solution for Cleveland, the podcaster suggests that the Browns essentially got a freebie in Sanders, potentially viewing him as a “Why not?” kind of prospect.

“They may have believed, and still to this moment believe, that Dillon Gabriel fits that backup role better. Taking Shedeur in the fifth round is a free lottery ticket… You got a guy who has the tape and makeup of a day one or day two pick in the fifth round.”

According to Lucas, for the first time in a long time, the Browns finally managed to score a value pick at the QB position. For better or worse, that’s something that both the front office and the fanbase are surely happy about.

Shedeur Sanders reacts to the Cleveland Browns drafting him

While many signal callers are often fearful of landing with the Cleveland Browns on draft night, their phone call was likely a source of relief for Sanders, given the dramatic nature of his draft day debacle. In the moments after Cleveland announced that they would be drafting him after all, Sanders took to social media to share a simple yet thankful message.

For all the drama and insinuations that have come in the wake of Sanders’ slide, he now has the opportunity to prove both his doubters and NFL executives wrong by climbing the ranks of the Browns’ QB room. Joe Flacco is currently projected to be the starter in Week 1, but Sanders can at least ensure that he’s the number two option by overcoming Gabriel at practice this offseason.

Unfortunately, no performance on the practice field will likely be enough to warrant him the legendary start to his NFL career that he had hoped for on April 24th.