The Cleveland Browns rolled the dice on Shedeur Sanders.
Taking him in the first round would’ve put some unrealistic expectations on his shoulders, at least in the eyes of NFL scouts.
But as a fifth-rounder, he is free from the expectations that come from an early-round pick.
If he turns out to be a good quarterback, the Browns will look like geniuses.
If he doesn’t pan out, well, he was a fifth-rounder.
That’s why, as much buzz as there has always been around him, team insider Terry Pluto believes he’s a ways away from being a starter, if ever:
“For Shedeur Sanders, the reality is he’s no longer special. Not in the eyes of the NFL. Only 7% of starters come from the fifth round,” Pluto wrote. “It’s true that Sanders has impressed the Browns with his work ethic and serious approach to learning the offense. He seems to have connected with Flacco. He’s also had some good days in front of the media during the Browns’ spring camps. But these are glorified touch football practices. If the real NFL was like this, Flacco would already be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.”
That pretty much sums it up.
The fact of the matter is that if Sanders had been as good as his camp made him to be, the league would’ve likely ignored many of the red flags about his pre-draft process, and they would’ve taken him earlier.
Hopefully, he will prove the doubters wrong, but history isn’t on his side.
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