NFL Draft Surprise: Cleveland Browns Pick QB Shedeur Sanders at No. 144 in 2025 NFL Draft

Cleveland Browns surprise draft pick: Shedeur Sanders selected with 144th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Read more about the unexpected choice.

Shedeur Sanders, the 23-year-old University of Colorado quarterback and son of NFL Hall of Fame returner Deion Sanders, was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. This pick was a surprise, given Sanders was widely expected to be a first-round draft pick.

“Thank you GOD,” Sanders wrote on X, as he celebrated with family and friends in Texas while the draft took place in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The video of his reaction was shared on Twitch, showcasing the excitement of his loved ones. Sanders will join a Browns quarterback room featuring Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson, although Watson is expected to miss the 2025 season due to an Achilles tendon injury.

The Tennessee Titans selected University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick, but he was one of only two quarterbacks taken in the first round. Despite his impressive resume, including being the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Year, Shedeur Sanders wasn't drafted until the fifth round.

With the No. 144 overall pick in the 2025 @NFLDraft, the @Browns select Shedeur Sanders.

📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/59k0n94PXm

— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025

The Cleveland Browns had already selected quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round, but they traded two picks to Seattle to move up to the 144th selection and snag Sanders. 

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry explained the team's decision to select Shedeur Sanders, saying, “We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position. We felt it got to a point where he was probably mis-priced relative to the draft.”

Berry addressed concerns about Sanders' celebrity status and family background, stating, “Obviously, Shedeur has kind of grown up in the spotlight, but our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete.”

.@ShedeurSanders is a Cleveland Brown@Browns | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/RSgFvyd3zU

— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025