Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Gets Grim Prediction on Future

There are no certainties ahead for Shedeur Sanders with the Cleveland Browns.

Once projected as a first-round pick, Sanders endured a stunning slide down the draft board before the Browns scooped him up in the fifth round. For a team in need of a quarterback, the value was too good to pass up. As general manager Andrew Berry put it, the “acquisition cost” made the decision a no-brainer.

“We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft,” Berry said after the draft. “Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it’s a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot.”

As a fifth-round pick, Sanders faces an uphill climb to leapfrog Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and third-rounder Dillon Gabriel in what’s shaping up to be a heated training camp battle. He may not just be competing for playing time — he could be fighting for a roster spot altogether.

Aditi Kinkhabwala Stunned by Browns’ Selection of Shedeur Sanders

Aditi Kinkhabwala, a CBS sideline reporter who also works with the Browns during the preseason, was taken aback by Cleveland’s decision to draft Sanders.

“I’m stunned,” Kinkhabwala said in a recent radio interview. “There’s a way that I can answer this and I can toe the line and be a responsible sideline reporter and all of that. But I’ll tell you, it completely, absolutely blew my mind in every way possible. Especially after they had taken Dillon Gabriel.”

Kinkhabwala also questioned Sanders’ chances of sticking on the roster, noting his late-round draft status.

“Shedeur Sanders is a fifth-round pick,” she said. “I mean, there’s no [guarantee that he makes the 53-man roster]. And then maybe he’s on the practice squad.”

Shedeur Sanders Will Bring Massive Attention to Browns QB Battle

Sanders isn’t your typical fifth-round pick. His every move draws attention, and despite slipping in the draft, he’s already made headlines as the top-selling rookie jersey. But the former Colorado star isn’t concerned about fitting in—he’s focused on earning respect and proving himself.

“I know I’m going to fit in perfectly,” Sanders said. “I feel like it’s first getting in, showing respect to the vets, showing them I’m here ready to work. Show the coaches and have them understand, I’m here ready to work. So they could actually understand the real me. That’s what I’m truly thankful to have, is the opportunity for people to actually see the real me and not be able to see stuff that could be true or not.”

While drafting both Gabriel and Sanders wasn’t part of the original draft plan, the Browns believe the added competition in the quarterback room will only benefit the team.

“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks, but as we talk about, we do believe in best player available, we do believe in positional value, and we didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round,” Berry said of Sanders. “Love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with the guys that are already in there. We felt like that was the appropriate thing to do.”

Sanders and Gabriel will be on the field for Browns rookie minicamp, which kicks off May 9.