(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 16: Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns looks on from the sideline in the second half during the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on August 16, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Cleveland Browns defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 22-13. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
It was no secret at last April’s NFL draft that ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. was incensed about the way the league treated eventual Browns fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders. After all, Sanders was projected to be a first-round pick, but after supposedly interviewing poorly at the NFL Combine, teams began wiping him off their draft boards.
The free-fall was arguably the worst in the history of the NFL draft, and Kiper repeatedly backed Sanders and denigrated NFL teams for passing on him.
Fast-forward six months and Kiper is still backing Sanders, even as the Browns keep sticking with third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel as the team’s starter.
Speaking on ESPN’s “First Draft” podcast this week, Kiper said, “Figure out Dillon Gabriel, that was Kevin Stefanski’s guy. Shedeur Sanders, Andrew Berry brought in because he was there in the fifth round, see what happens. … To me, let’s see how it plays out the rest of the year. I hope Shedeur has a chance. Even if he gets in there, he might struggle, does that mean he stinks? Does that mean he was overrated? No.”
Shedeur Sanders Was the Draft’s No. 1 QB One Year Ago
Kiper pointed out that long before Sanders was with the Browns, he starred at Colorado and was ranked by many as the top quarterback coming out in 2025. But he also pointed out that, over time, NFL teams reveal that they aren’t all that smart about drafting and developing quarterbacks.
That, Kiper said (and Browns fans know as well as anybody), is especially true of Cleveland’s NFL contingent.
“I don’t care what the league says,” Kiper said. “The league doesn’t speak about quarterbacks, they don’t know any more than you or I do about quarterbacks, really. Everybody’s clueless about quarterbacks including the National Football League geniuses, OK? They don’t know. Even when they have them, they don’t know. (The Browns) had Baker Mayfield, they let him go. …
“Didn’t nine executives have (Shedeur Sanders) going as the No. 1 quarterback at this same time last year? What happened? Nothing happened on the field. All the sudden, ‘We’re washing our hands of Shedeur Sanders. We don’t want him, we don’t want him, we don’t want him.’ To me, the organizations ruin players. They ruin quarterbacks.”
Browns Quarterback History Is Not Great
Again, when Kiper refers to “organizations” he means the Browns, who picked Baker Mayfield out of Oklahoma with the No. 1 pick in 2018 and went 11-5 with him in 2020. But Cleveland dumped him the following year, and Mayfield has gone on to be a two-time Pro Bowler and now an MVP candidate in Tampa Bay.
“This is the one that has you scratching your head. You had Baker, Baker was winning. Baker almost had you in a Super Bowl. To me, Baker should be in Cleveland. …” Kiper said.
“When Cleveland had Baker Mayfield, they hadn’t had any success, they hadn’t won anything—1999, no consistency at quarterback, 15 times since the AFC North came in 2002, they finished in last place. Fifteen times, last place. One playoff win since 1999.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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