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University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was once expected to be a top five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, after not hearing his name called during Thursday's first round or Friday's second and third rounds, his fall became the story of the draft.
More news: Patrick Mahomes Sends One-Word Message as Shedeur Sanders Continues to Fall in NFL Draft
In the fifth round of the draft, the Cleveland Browns, who had already taken a quarterback in the third round, selected Sanders with the No. 144 overall pick.
Read more: Shedeur Sanders Breaks Silence With 3-Word Message After Being Drafted by Browns
Finally off the board, Sanders was able to relax and even made a hilarious observation regarding his fall in the draft.
"It be funny, some of them memes, though," Sanders said of the memes poking fun at his fall on social media.
He then referenced a meme making fun of his pre-draft interviews and how poorly he must have done to fall to the fifth round.
Sanders handled the fall in the draft with grace, including brushing off the prank call that had him thinking he was drafted on Friday in the second or third rounds.
Now, he'll look to prove the other 31 NFL teams wrong, and make an impact on a Browns team that has no clear answer at quarterback moving forward.
More news: What Does Browns Quarterback Room Look Like After Drafting Shedeur Sanders?
Sanders is joining a quarterback room that includes fellow draftee Dillon Gabriel — who was selected in the third round — as well as veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. There's also Deshaun Watson, who's expected to miss the entire 2025 season after suffering a second ruptured Achilles injury.
Sanders is coming off a 2024 season at Colorado in which he completed 353 of 477 passes for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award, finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting, and took home the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the top upperclassman quarterback in college football.
Sanders will hope to translate that success to the NFL level, and help a Browns team that has been unable to find their franchise quarterback. While it's unlikely to come in the form of a fifth-round pick, Sanders will hope to prove everyone wrong and become the exception.
More news: Every Quarterback Taken Ahead of Shedeur Sanders in 2025 NFL Draft
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About the writer
Noah Camras is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles. His focus is on sports content. Noah has been with Newsweek since March ... Read more