After selecting Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round, the Cleveland Browns suggested that they believed Gabriel was a better prospect at the time. Perhaps there was a scenario where the Browns didn’t want to be the team that took Sanders in the third round, as he continued to fall in the draft, but they did so in the fifth round, so it didn’t seem like that was the case.
Some believe that Sanders could still be without a job in the coming months. With the Browns having a loaded quarterback regarding players in it, not talent-wise, it’s possible that Sanders could be dealt if something doesn’t go right.
In a recent trade idea from Heavy Sports’ Owen Crisafulli, the Browns would move on from him to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a deal involving a 2026 third-round pick. If the Browns could do this, they’d get more value back than they initially spent on the Colorado product.
“Sanders entered the 2025 draft with expectations of being a first-round pick. Instead, he fell all the way to the fifth round, where the Browns eventually traded up to select him with the No. 144 pick. Sanders finds himself in a quarterback room consisting of Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was selected by the team in the third round of the draft.
“With Watson re-rupturing his Achilles back in January, Cleveland’s starting quarterback job is wide open. Sanders has reportedly impressed Browns coaches early on, and he appears to have as good of a shot as everyone else at becoming the Week 1 starter. However, it’s worth noting that there’s a bit of a logjam at the position. Given that they selected Gabriel before Sanders, it’s clear that Cleveland believes more in the former Oregon Ducks passer to become their quarterback of the future,” he wrote.
Could Gabriel Get Moved Instead of Sanders?
If the Cleveland Browns plan to start Gabriel anytime in the near future, whether it be this season or in the next three to four years, moving on from Sanders makes plenty of sense. However, Kurt Benkert, a former NFL quarterback, believes the Miami Dolphins could make a play for Gabriel. He added that the Dolphins liked him, something that would play in Sanders’ favor with the Browns.
“I wouldn’t be shocked to see the #Dolphins trade for #Browns QB Dillon Gabriel at the end of the preseason,” Benkert wrote on X.
“They liked him a ton and saw him as an incredible scheme fit with athletic upside and were going to take him a few picks later, but then the Browns drafted him (per source).”
Would the Browns Really Trade Sanders?
Sanders has said all the right things during his short time with the Cleveland Browns. When speaking to reporters, he admitted that he wants to learn everything from players like Joe Flacco and others.
On the outside looking in, it seems like Sanders is well-liked, meaning trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers really wouldn’t make much sense.
“Joe’s the old guy in the room, so I joke with Joe all the time every day I see him,” Sanders said, per Cleveland.com. “I can’t tell you all my jokes, but whenever you see them or they’re mic’d up or anything, all that stuff is real. It’s spur of the moment and then after that, it’s time to lock back in. Our minds are always consistently and constantly moving.”
