Browns' Shedeur Sanders Among Top Contenders for Major NFL Award

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders certainly did not get what he expected during the NFL Draft. While he may have initially thought he was going to Cleveland, he probably assumed it would be with the No. 2 overall pick.

Instead, Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round, where the Browns traded up to land him. Now, he will be competing with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel for Cleveland's starting quarterback job.

Even still, many are very bullish on Sanders, and apparently, the Colorado Buffaloes product is among the most popular bets to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

"Cleveland Browns lightning rod Shedeur Sanders comes in at No. 5, likely on name value alone, as it's uncertain if he'll even see the field this season," wrote Bleacher Report's Timothy Rapp. "RJ Harvey is right behind him, set for a timeshare in Denver with J.K. Dobbins."

It seems hard to imagine Sanders genuinely contending for the award unless he wins the starting job right out of training camp, which seems incredibly unlikely. In fact, there are some who feel that Sanders is actually fourth on the Browns' depth chart.

The prevailing thought is that Flacco will be under center come Week 1, and there is even momentum toward Gabriel actually being the preferred rookie backup in Cleveland. Whether or not that's true remains to be seen, but it doesn't paint a great picture for Sanders heading into his debut season.

Sanders threw 37 touchdown passes while completing 74 percent of his passes during his final collegiate campaign, the latter of which paced the country. But whether or not the 23-year-old can translate that onto the professional level is anyone's guess.

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