After entering the offseason as one of the hottest names in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock has unquestionably taken a hit over the past few months, going from a borderline lock to go top-2 to a player some have suggested might be available in the 20s or even later.
While ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is higher than most on Sanders, as he’s been open about calling Sanders his favorite QB in the draft, he admitted in an appearance on ESPN NFL Live that he believes Cleveland may not be sold on the Colorado product as their next signal-caller, as he might not be built for the division.
“Shedeur Sander I would take, but I don’t know what I would do. I don’t know how Shedeur feels about Cleveland, Dashaun Watson went there because of the money,” Kiper said. “Cleveland, with Shedeur Sanders in that division, and keep in mind, arm strength is not his forte, so you’ve got Cleveland weather, Baltimore weather, Pittsburgh weather, Cincinati weather. The same thing about the Giants with Shedeur as well, so with Cleveland, that why I thought maybe they would go pass rusher here and look at another one of those quarterbacks down the line, because there are four or five quarterbacks in that next tier bunched together.”
So, where does Kiper Jr. believe Sanders should land? Well, he didn’t have to wait long, as in his Mock Draft 3.0, Sanders ended up going third overall to the New York Giants.
“Even if the Giants land Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, they need to think about the future under center. Rodgers is 41. Wilson is 36. Neither would be the long-term fix. That’s why I still think the Giants could draft Sanders at No. 3. And signing one of those veterans — two guys who have won Super Bowls — then double-dipping at the position with Sanders would only help the rookie learn and develop. There would be no pressure to start Sanders right away or be the guy in Week 1,” Kiper wrote.
“In Sanders, New York would get a super accurate passer (74.0% completion rate in 2024) who is tough as nails. Despite taking the most sacks in the FBS over the past two seasons (94), he also tied for second in touchdown passes (64) during that time frame. Sanders could provide some QB stability to New York for the first time since Eli Manning was taking the snaps.”
Is Sanders actually a bad fit in Cleveland? Could his lack of arm strength, when coupled with his lack of elite rushing abilities, make him a sitting duck in the pocket for players like TJ Watt and Trey Hendrickson? While it’s hard to say, smoke is certainly pointing toward Cleveland not going QB at pick two, and fans should consider that possibility accordingly.
“Abdul Carter is a great pass rusher, so is Myles Garrett. It’s nice to have two of them, and in a conference with great quarterbacks.”@MelKiperESPN thinks the Browns should draft Abdul Carter in round one
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— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 18, 2025
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