Shedeur Sanders began his 2025 NFL Draft process believing he’d be a top-5 overall pick. He nearly wasn’t picked in the top five rounds, as he slid to No. 144 overall before hearing his name called. Thankfully, he wasn’t fifth on the Cleveland Browns’ preseason depth chart. However, he is currently at the bottom, in fourth, behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel.
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The Browns signed Tyler Huntley on Monday, bringing a fifth passer to the mix. Huntley is merely insurance for this week’s preseason contest. Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders are nursing various injuries, so Chad Johnson isn’t worried about him taking Sanders’ roster spot. Surprisingly, he’s actually not concerned with anybody’s placement on the depth chart.
Johnson spoke on Sanders’ depth chart slot during Monday’s episode of Nightcap. While some could consider it a motivation tactic for Sanders, Johnson sees it through a different lens.
“The depth chart doesn’t mean anything to me. We know what Joe Flacco can do when the lights come on… [Kenny Pickett] is not the answer… what they’re trying to do is, they’re trying to break [Shedeur Sanders]. They’re trying to break him… that’s all it is. From the draft process to [now]… come on with that bulljive, man.”
On the Browns’ first depth chart of the season, they list their QBs in this order:
1. Joe Flacco
2. Kenny Pickett
3. Dillon Gabriel
4. Shedeur Sanders pic.twitter.com/p2hu5Oz9JR— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2025
Sanders has gone through quite the fall from his college football grace. Many a draft analyst projected Cleveland would select Sanders with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Had they done so, he’d probably be behind only Flacco on their depth chart. His fourth-place ranking indicates he may not make the team.
Chad Johnson doubts Browns’ QB scouting ability
Cleveland has a long history of sadness when it comes to quarterbacks. Only one Browns signal-caller has earned a Pro Bowl invitation since 1990 (Derek Anderson – 2007). They drafted Baker Mayfield in 2018, but got rid of him after acquiring Deshaun Watson. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that move didn’t work out as planned.
When it comes to passers, the Browns can’t seem to make the right decision. From Tim Couch and Brady Quinn to Brandon Weeden and Johnny Manziel, the flameouts aren’t few and far between. They are many, in close succession. Johnson sees their track record and has zero faith that they’ll fix things anytime soon.
“I don’t know what they’re doing… have they known what they’re doing since that franchise was established? Have they figured it out yet… have they had one [QB] for a decade that they could build around? How are we supposed to trust this organization when it comes to choosing quarterbacks at a position where they haven’t figured it out all these years?” – Chad Johnson
From the outside looking in, it’s as if Cleveland took a Moneyball approach to the quarterback room. Essentially, they’ve channeled their inner Billy Beane and said:
“We can’t create Patrick Mahomes, but we can recreate him in the aggregate.”
If you rolled every quarterback on the Browns’ roster into Frankenstein’s monster-like form, Cleveland could potentially make that Moneyball philosophy work. Perhaps the Browns added Huntley to give their Create-A-Player some mobility. Unfortunately, this isn’t Madden NFL 26.
Johnson clearly believes the Browns’ best path forward involves Sanders. At this point, the team doesn’t appear to share his sentiment. Maybe that will bode well for Sanders and ultimately prove Johnson right about Cleveland’s operation; maybe it won’t. We’ll find out soon enough.
