The Cleveland Browns‘ decision to select Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 National Football League Draft has been under scrutiny since the pick. Sanders, a quarterback from Colorado, had been widely graded as a second- or third-round prospect before his draft stock fell amid speculation regarding off-field circumstances and reportedly poor pre-draft interviews.
Sanders joined a crowded quarterback group that included fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, selected by the Browns earlier in the draft, as well as veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Since joining the team, Sanders has largely avoided public attention but remains fourth on the depth chart despite notable preseason performances.
Recent comments from Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Eric Dickerson have brought new attention to Sanders’ situation. On an appearance with the Roggin and Rodney Show, Dickerson made claims about communication within the league regarding Sanders’s draft status. Dickerson said: “I tell you this much, what I heard from someone that’s in the NFL, that the NFL told [teams] don’t draft him, do not draft him. We’re going to make an example out of him. And this came from a very good source, a very good source.” He continued: “I won’t say who — somebody called the Cleveland Browns and said, ‘Don’t do that, draft him.’ Because they weren’t going to draft him, either. . . .They were forced into drafting him, because somebody made a call to them.”
Dickerson’s statements suggest possible conflicting interests within league leadership over Sanders’ prospects leading up to and during the 2025 National Football League Draft.
