The Cleveland Browns had plenty of needs heading into the NFL Draft, but their biggest was quarterback. The Deshaun Watson trade is officially a bust as the controversial quarterback will miss the 2025 season with a torn Achilles tendon. While the Browns traded for Kenny Pickett and signed Joe Flacco, neither are a long-term option, making Cleveland a favorite to draft one of the top quarterbacks in the draft.
For many, that prospect was Shedeur Sanders. The 23-year-old was one of college football’s biggest stars at Colorado and was projected to be a top pick that could have gone as high as second overall when the Browns were on the clock Thursday night.
After passing on Sanders on Day 1, many thought that Cleveland would pull the trigger on Day 2. But the Browns sent a message to the polarizing quarterback that got louder as the picks flew by.
Browns Select Dillon Gabriel Over Shedeur Sanders in Round 3 of NFL Draft
The Browns made four picks on the second day of the draft and none of them were Sanders. Cleveland selected UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger with the 33rd overall pick to lead off the second round of the draft and took Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins with the 36th overall pick before hitting the third round. Another potential playmaker went off the board when Cleveland took Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. with the 67th overall pick in Round 3 ,but Sanders was still on the board when the Browns went on the clock with their second third-round pick at 94th overall.
It wouldn’t have been a shock for Cleveland to take a quarterback and while they did, nobody expected it to be Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel was a college football veteran playing three years at Central Florida, two years at Oklahoma, and one year at Oregon. While Gabriel ranks second in D-I history with 18,722 passing yards, his best year was last season with the Ducks, where he threw for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 72.9% completion rate.
The ability to make good decisions and find playmakers is something that’s appealing in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. But it also was shocking considering the Browns took Gabriel with Sanders still on the board. Even if the Browns think Gabriel has long-term upside despite the fact he’ll turn 25 in December, Sanders was considered by many to be one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, along with Miami’s Cam Ward, who was selected with the first overall pick by the Tennessee Titans.
Everyone has their conspiracy theories as to why Sanders is falling. But the most likely reason is that the Browns weren’t interested.
Sanders is a quarterback that walked off the field early and publicly blasted his offensive line after a loss at Nebraska last September. He is also a quarterback that wore New York Giants-themed cleats during a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl last December. After Sanders appeared aloof while speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Browns may have decided he wasn’t worth the trouble – especially when coming off the Watson trainwreck over the past three seasons.
The Browns aren’t the only team sending this message. Sanders is still available as the draft enters its final day and his free fall may be a series of self-inflicted mistakes. After adding an extra first-round pick in next year’s draft on Thursday, the Browns may be comfortable rolling with Pickett and Flacco while seeing if Gabriel pans out. If he doesn't, Cleveland can dive into a deeper class that includes Texas’s Arch Manning and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava, giving them a safer option as they decide the future of the game’s most important position.