Shedeur Sanders was once projected to be selected within the top ten picks of the 2025 NFL Draft, potentially even first overall to the quarterback-needy Tennessee Titans.
After Tennessee selected Cam Ward, there was a possibility that the Browns would take Sanders with the No. 2 pick, but as the pre-draft process unfolded, it became clear Cleveland was zeroed in on Travis Hunter and that Sanders was at risk of sliding down the board.
The unthinkable then happened, as the Browns traded down to No. 5 to select Mason Graham, while Hunter went to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 2, and the Browns also wound up taking Sanders in the fifth round.
Hunter recently signed his rookie contract with Jacksonville, a 4-year, $46.65 million deal, while Sanders reacted with a simple emoji on X.
— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) June 23, 2025
Sanders’ contract is worth $4.6 million over four years, so needless to say, that slide down the draft board cost him a pretty penny.
After Sanders slid to the fifth round, there were plenty of reports that came out about his perceived poor pre-draft interviews and character concerns, which now have even more validity given the two speeding tickets he has already gotten since draft day.
Hunter has checked all the boxes thus far, and opting not to select him was an extremely bold move by the Browns.
If he lives up to his otherworldly hype and becomes the two-way superstar this league hasn’t seen in decades, it’s going to put a lot of pressure on Mason Graham and whoever the Browns draft in 2026 to justify that move down.
It’s nice to see Sanders is happy for his former teammate, and hopefully, he can also play well enough to get a contract like that at some point.
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