The Cleveland Browns decided to draft former University of Colorado Boulder quarterback Shedeur Sanders just last month in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and while Sanders has yet to play in a game for the Browns, he has already made a strong positive impression on Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Stefanski recently praised Sanders’ work ethic and the fact that he’s willing to show up early to hone his game and improve his craft. Stefanski also showed love to all the other Browns rookies who have done the same.
"He's in there early, he's getting his work done, he's working really, really hard. I like everything there is about Shedeur," – @Browns HC Kevin Stefanski on Shedeur Sanders. pic.twitter.com/qEZa3jTa4T
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 23, 2025
There’s a very legitimate chance that Sanders goes down as the steal of the 2025 NFL Draft, as he was a top prospect at the quarterback position in the 2024 college season, and his slide to the fifth round came as a shock to a whole lot of people.
He was once the betting favorite to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, but he didn’t end up hearing his name called until the third and final day of the event.
To put a positive swing on Sanders’ slip in the draft, he will have all the motivation in the world to have a great start to his NFL career. He was passed on more than 100 times, as he was drafted with the No. 144 overall pick, and he can make teams around the league eat crow by cementing himself as one of the premier young quarterbacks in the NFL from the jump.
One question that looms is how long Sanders will have to wait to show what he’s got against NFL competition, as the Browns have a full quarterback room.
It will only benefit Sanders that he’s making connections with folks who know what it takes to be a great quarterback in the best football league in the world. Former New England Patriots signal-caller Tom Brady said during a podcast appearance that he knows Sanders “very well” and sent the young man a motivating text message.
Sanders is an easy player to root for considering his talent level and the fact that he has plenty of detractors and doubters. Hopefully, the hard work he is putting in with the Browns right now will translate into productive play moving forward.
