The Cleveland Browns ended quarterback Shedeur Sanders‘ slide late in the 2025 NFL Draft, taking him with the 144th overall pick in Round 5. While Sanders has faced plenty of criticism and been the subject of negative reports in recent days, some around the league do see an opportunity ahead for him.
Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke to NFL coaches and executives about draft classes by teams across the AFC. Regarding the Browns, one coach explained why he thinks sliding to the fifth round could help Sanders by humbling him.
“Kyler took years to get where he’s at today; Baker took time to get there. If Shedeur were the second pick, does he ever get there? In the fifth round, maybe he will be humbled and listen. Because he works and is a good student and all that. He just comes off as entitled and as having a higher opinion of himself than he should.”
NFL coach on how sliding in the 2025 NFL Draft could humble Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders
Related: Shedeur Sanders rubbed teams the wrong way, clashed with a head coach
- Shedeur Sanders stats (ESPN): 4,134 passing yards, 37-10 TD-INT, 74% completion rate, 8.7 yards per attempt, 168.2 QB rating, 4 rushing touchdowns
During the pre-draft process, many teams who spoke with Sanders believed Sanders had a sense of entitlement. While NFL Draft analysts and mock drafts put him in Round 1, perhaps fueling his internal belief that he was a top prospect, teams viewed him as a Day 2 talent.
Related: Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers cost themselves millions with NFL Draft decisions
After slipping out of Round 1, Sanders told friends and family at his draft party that Friday night would be when his name would be called. Instead, teams passed on him in both rounds and let that slide continue through Round 4 until Cleveland finally took him off the board in Round 5.
However, there’s another reason clubs passed on Sanders, which will have an impact on the Browns even if Sanders was humbled. As an executive told Sando, the ‘distraction’ that comes with certain players can impact the team and add to the number of responsibilities for the coaching staff.
“What the team builders are saying is, there is a level of distraction that comes with some players that impacts the team. The energy that goes into coaching certain players impacts the team.”
Anonymous NFL exeecutive on the Cleveland Browns’ drafting of Shedeur Sanders
Related: 2026 NFL mock draft, Cleveland Browns take Shedeur Sanders replacement
Heading into the summer, Sanders will be battling with Dillon Gabriel to be the third quarterback on the Browns depth chart and he’ll likely be behind the third-round pick for reps. It creates an uphill climb that Sanders will likely only come out on top of if sliding in the NFL Draft humbles him and drives him to work harder than ever before.