Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is coming to town with far more hype and expectations than a typical fifth-round pick due to his well-documented college career and hundreds of mock drafts that incorrectly had him projected to be a top-10 pick.
It’s hard to forget all of that just because he slid to the fifth round.
Many, including former Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner, still view him as a potential star in the NFL.
Warner recently appeared on The Jim Rome Show to discuss Sanders, and he said he didn’t see him as a fifth-round prospect.
“My evaluation [of Shedeur Sanders] was: the most accurate quarterback, I thought, in this draft. When he sets his feet, when he’s comfortable in the pocket, and he delivers the football, the ball goes where he wants it to go,” Warner said. “I really like Shedeur [Sanders]. He wasn’t a fifth-round prospect, in my opinion. I’m excited to see how this Cleveland quarterback room plays out.”
"I really like Shedeur [Sanders]. He wasn't a fifth round prospect, in my opinion… I'm excited to see how this Cleveland quarterback room plays out."@kurt13warner shares his evaluation of the Browns rookie QB.
pic.twitter.com/ktdgG2ghx5— Ossacin’s Ducktail (@OssacinDucktail) May 17, 2025
Warner mentioned how Sanders was tasked with being the main reason Colorado won games in college and was tasked week in and week out with making difficult throws and carrying the offense despite having a bad offensive line and subpar running game.
Cleveland gave up 66 sacks last season and will be relying on improved health to tighten up that number in 2025, as the Browns didn’t make any big investments in free agency or the draft to improve up front.
Given how tough the team’s first eight games are before the Week 9 bye week, it’s not ideal to throw either Sanders or Dillon Gabriel behind that offensive line until it is proven to be capable of protecting the quarterback for 17 games.
This franchise has had far too many disappointments at the quarterback position, and giving Shedeur Sanders all he needs to have the best chance of succeeding at the next level is of the utmost priority, whether that’s by starting him early this season or not.
NEXT: Insider Reveals How Browns Will Use Dylan Sampson
