The Cleveland Browns front office’s performance in last week’s NFL draft drew rave reviews from around the NFL, as it was clear that the team came in with a plan, executed that plan, and took advantage of some luck in seeing the board unfold how it had hoped. The Browns wanted better protection up front for the offense, and better weapons on the edges, and with the drafting of first-round left tackle Spencer Fano, followed by receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, the Browns got what they wanted. And no one should be happier than Shedeur Sanders.
That’s because the Browns are unfolding a two-track plan here. For one thing, they wanted to make the entire offense better so that they have a fairer playing field on which to judge the team’s quarterbacks. If they judge those quarterbacks unworthy of further investment, the team can draft (or sign, or trade for) a new signal-caller next April and drop him into an offense that has some talent.
But if there is a chance that the first plan could be the one that wins out, it’s probably Sanders who is best suited to make that happen.
Shedeur Sanders Named Big Winner of Browns’ NFL Draft
Along those lines, Zac Jackson of The Athletic tabbed Sanders, surprisingly, as the big winner in all the hubbub around the Browns draft to this point. It’s Sanders, after all, who is only 24 years old and has shown some promise as a potential QB1. That’s not to say he will be the QB1, though, not with Deshaun Watson (and to a lesser extent, Taylen Green and Dillon Gabriel) also in the running.
Writes Jackson: “Sanders hasn’t won anything yet. When the team’s latest version of its annual quarterback competition started at voluntary minicamp last week, Deshaun Watson was first up in more drills. But … Watson isn’t going to be in Cleveland past 2026 and would have to play way above his previous level for the team to justify not giving Sanders a long look. Sanders has to earn his chances with the new coaching staff — and, if he does, he’ll get a chance to show the organization that he should be part of the discussion going forward.”
Browns Added Developmental QB in the NFL Draft to the Mix
There is still much to be determined and, frankly, we don’t even know whether Sanders will stick on the Browns’ roster this season. New coach Todd Monken appears determined to at least get Watson on the field at some point this year, hoping that he can somehow recapture the star power that ones had him in three straight Pro Bowls before the Browns acquired him from the Texans.
It’s not hard to imagine a situation in which Monken gives the job to Watson, the team determines that keeping Sanders as a backup would be too much of a distraction, and either cuts or trades him. Gabriel is easier to keep as a backup, and Green was just added in the NFL draft as a developmental project.
Shedeur Sanders, Other QBs ‘Looked Really Good’
Last week, as the draft was unfolding, Monken was asked about the Browns quarterback situation and joked that the Cleveland media just could not resist asking QB questions no matter what else is going on.
But Monken did answer, revealing his thoughts on how Watson, Sanders and Gabriel did in voluntary workouts last week: ” I thought, all three quarterbacks, at times you could see the positives in their game and learning the new system, and they’ve been awesome in the meeting rooms and on the field, and it was just kind of dipping our toe in the water.
“But I thought Deshaun looked really good at times, and there’s other things he’s got to work on. Same with Shedeur and with Dillion. So, I didn’t really do a deep dive into all of them, but it was a heck of a lot of fun being out there, I can tell you that.”
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