Anonymous NFL Exec Gets Real on Browns' Shedeur Sanders Pick

The story of this year's 2025 NFL Draft circled the wild fall of Shedeur Sanders–– a projected first-round selection and top-rated quarterback prospect in the class who inevitably fell into the laps of the Cleveland Browns at 144th overall.

The infamous draft fall for Sanders has been attributed to a wide variety of reasons. Whether the steep drop into round three surrounding reported character concerns, his college sack issues, Colorado's offensive system, etc., the theories have been wide-ranging as to why Shedeur fell to where he did.

The latest thoughts uncover why Shedeur fell in the way he did stem from an anonymous NFL executive during an interview by The Athletic's Mike Sando.

According to the exec, he interestingly credits the dropoff to "intangibles and other stuff," leading to the Browns simply being unable to pass on the chance to pick him up.

“You like some of the pieces, but there is the glue that has never been there,” an NFL exec said. “Most teams had Sanders rated as a second-round pick, but when you are building a team, you have to include the intangibles and the other stuff and decide whether you want it or not. For most teams at that stage, it was not worth it. So he falls a couple rounds, and it’s too hard for a team like the Browns to pass on him.”

Sanders, despite all of the narratives and judgement surrounding his stock as an NFL quarterback, has notable traits to build on that give him a ton of upside at the next level.

He's got great accuracy, nice pocket presence, and a solid component of athleticism that scouts seemingly raved about to initially land him as a projected first-rounder. Yet, the league seemed to evaluate the landscape a bit differently, the cards fell how they did, and now Sanders resides as one of two quarterbacks added into the mix for Cleveland in this year's class.

Sanders will have to earn his way back to that respect in being the top-rated signal caller he was once advertised to be, but it could be an uphill battle in a crowded Browns quarterback room, and especially so if his aforementioned intangible struggles prove to be a limitation.

But for the Browns, the addition comes out to be more than a worthwhile gamble. If the Sanders bet pays off and he emerges as a potential starting option, they come out of this draft with one of the best draft steals in recent memory. If things fizzle out, the cost comes out to be a sole fifth-round pick.

Needless to say, watching the Browns' quarterback room play out over the coming months will be a fascinating one to watch.

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