Depending on who you ask, Shedeur Sanders is arguably the best quarterback in the 2025 draft class.
And seeing as there are only two players at the position who boast first round grades, the star Colorado Buffaloes signal caller is going to be in high demand come April.
His fate rests in the hands of the Tennessee Titans, who currently employ no general manager. Considering the GM will likely have the loudest voice in the player the team takes with the No. 1 overall pick, it is safe to say that no one in football yet knows for certain who will decide Sanders' NFL future -- at least for the next four or five years.
Tennessee can trade the top pick, but that seems unlikely after second-year QB Will Levis played so poorly in 2024 that the coaches had no choice but to bench him in favor of career backup Mason Rudolph.
However, if the Titans' new GM is among those enamored with Miami quarterback Cam Ward, then it will be the Cleveland Browns who get the next crack at Sanders with the No. 2 selection.
Again, this is a situation in which the Browns would almost certainly either trade out of the pick with a team that wants Sanders badly enough, or simply select the QB themselves.
Jaime Eisner of Draft Network predicted the latter on Sunday, January 12.
Deshaun Watson reportedly re-ruptured his right Achilles and his status for 2025 is in serious doubt. Watson's injury insurance and poor play mean there's no need to rush him back to the field.
The Browns need a quarterback upgrade, and I like the fit for Shedeur Sanders in Kevin Stefanski's offense. Sanders has plenty to work on with his game — taking fewer sacks, throwing with more anticipation, etc. — but he has the football IQ, toughness and a good enough arm to flash NFL success quickly. Sanders' deep ball and ability to succeed throwing both over the middle and outside the numbers should translate.
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans between 2018-20, has started just 19 games in three years (9-10) -- with each of his last two campaigns ending in injury. He also has two years remaining on a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract the Browns can't trade.
So while Cleveland may be stuck paying Watson, the opportunity to replace him with a young player on a rookie-scale deal has fallen into the Browns' lap at pick No. 2.
They aren't likely to waste it.
