Eagles Praised for Shedeur Sanders Draft Decision

The Cleveland Browns eventually decided to trade for pick 144 and select Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado. However, some have wondered if the Philadelphia Eagles were interested in selecting Sanders themselves. 

Regardless, the Eagles didn’t take that route, and whether it was the right or wrong decision will be seen in many years to come. If Sanders pans out to what he could be, there’s a chance he could be a star quarterback. If not, perhaps he finds himself out of the league, similar to many other fifth-rounders in recent years. 

However, the decision not to take him has also garnered some attention, including from FanSided’s Christopher Kline, who wrote that the Eagles “dodged a bullet” by passing on Sanders in the fifth round. 

“The Browns traded up to select Sanders in the fifth round, reportedly because the reigning champs were prepared to pick Sanders as Jalen Hurts’ backup. Howie Roseman is the master of finding value in the NFL Draft. Sanders in the fifth round was a great value on the surface, regardless of need…

“That said, the Eagles just won the Super Bowl. That locker room has struck a careful balance between established vets and elite up-and-coming talent. Hurts, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, has earned his stripes. He is locked up on a long-term contract and there’s no reason to believe he will decline in the near future,” he wrote.

What Would Sanders’ Fit Have Been With the Eagles?

Obviously, if the Philadelphia Eagles were to have selected Sanders, it would’ve been in a backup role. There’s a chance he’ll be in that anyway with the Cleveland Browns, but it’s also possible that he could be a potential starter there; at least he has a better chance to do so in Cleveland than he would’ve had in Philadelphia. 

According to Delaware Online’s Martin Frank, some believe that the Browns were worried the Eagles could have selected Sanders at pick No. 145, which was part of the reason they selected him at 144 and traded with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire that pick. 

“We might never know if the Eagles were about to take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, one of the most polarizing draft picks in recent memory.

“But the Cleveland Browns evidently thought so, trading ahead of the Eagles, who were picking at No. 145 in the fifth round, to take Sanders at No. 144. The Browns made the trade with the Seattle Seahawks,” he wrote.

What Was the Eagles’ Interest Level in Sanders?

When asked about whether the Philadelphia Eagles had an interest in selecting Sanders, Howie Roseman, arguably the best executive in the National Football League, didn’t want to talk much about it. Instead, he wanted to focus on who the Eagles drafted, which was again a strong class. 

“I feel the best thing for us to do is focus on the players that we brought in here. It would be a disservice to the players that we drafted to talk about other teams’ players. Obviously, we got enough on our own plate to worry about with the Philadelphia Eagles,” he said.

Roseman has done everything right from top to bottom in recent years, a significant part of why the Eagles are in the position they’re in, including last year’s Super Bowl win. 

Perhaps they’ll look back on it one day and regret not taking Sanders, but they’ll be just fine with Jalen Hurts under center.