Browns Draft Shedeur Sanders, Dismiss Controversy

Shedeur Sanders, once projected as a top pick in the NFL Draft, experienced a dramatic slide and was ultimately selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round at pick No. 144. The Browns, who had already drafted another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, in the third round, saw value in selecting Sanders after his unexpected fall. Throughout the draft process, Cleveland had shown significant interest in Sanders, conducting private workouts and meetings, but initially chose to address their quarterback needs with other players. Sanders responded to his draft slide with grace, publicly thanking God and expressing resilience despite the disappointment. During the draft, Sanders was also the target of a cruel prank call from someone impersonating an NFL general manager, which he later addressed, revealing concerns about how his private draft phone number was leaked. The incident drew criticism from fellow athletes and highlighted the challenges Sanders faced during an already difficult draft weekend.