A top NFL Draft expert explained this week why the Cleveland Browns have to make Shedeur Sanders their top pick in April.
This has been a rough last six months for the Browns franchise. They entered the 2024 season hopeful they could use the momentum of a playoff appearance the season before and take things a bit further. Instead, Deshaun Watson hit new lows in his disastrous tenure with the team. And after his season-ending injury, the team went into a downward spiral that resulted in a 3-14 record.
However, with the offseason comes renewed hope for changes that could be made to improve the roster immediately. One option the team has to do just that is in the 2025 NFL Draft, where they will have the second overall pick. The assumption for months has been Cleveland will use their first pick on a replacement for Watson. Yet, that is far from a guarantee.
Unlike the 2024 draft, this year’s QB class is weak. The player viewed as the best in this year’s event is Miami star Cam Ward. But momentum continues to grow he will go first overall to the Tennessee Titans. The next best prospect is Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. However, he is a flawed player that some NFL pundits feel is a risk that high in the event.
The Cleveland Browns could pivot to taking the best available players like Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter. A pair of stud athletes some believe are the top overall players in 2025. However, on Tuesday popular NFL Draft expert Todd McShay implored the team to take Sanders at No. 2 because of how good a fit he is for their head coach.
Is Shedeur Sanders a perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns?
“I truly believe Shedeur Sanders is in play for the No. 2 pick with the Cleveland Browns,” McShay began by saying on his podcast. “How do you get out of purgatory? They are in purgatory because of Deshaun Watson. It’s only to draft and get a quarterback on a rookie contract. My greatest asset in this whole mess is my head coach. Kevin Stefanski is my greatest asset. Why? Because Stefanski has a proven track record of getting the most out of pocket-passing quarterbacks with limited mobility. Sound familiar?
“Shedeur Sander’s skillset is strikingly similar to a lot of quarterbacks Stefanski has had and won a lot of games with in the past. Including Case Keenum who won 11 games with the Vikings. Stefanski was his quarterback coach in 2017. Kirk Cousins. The Vikings won 10 games under Stefanski as OC in 2019. Most recently, late-career Joe Flacco. The only player Stefanski has not won with is a confidence-shattered, physically broken-down Deshaun Watson,” he said.
“Every other quarterback he’s won with. And they’ve all been pocket-passing quarterbacks with less than elite arm strength and less than elite mobility… When he’s protected and playing in rhythm he’s the best pure passer in this class.”
McShay is one of the top draft analysts in the sport. Is he always right? Of course not. But no expert is. However, he does make a sensible case based on the head coach Cleveland has. Plus, they need to upgrade the position with limited financial means.
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