Colin Cowherd Shares Browns Perfect Plan Involving Shedeur Sanders and Elite SEC QB

Shedeur Sanders’ Colorado Career and Staggering NFL Draft Slide

Sanders starred for two seasons at the University of Colorado under coach, father and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. In his final year (2024), he completed a nation-leading 74.0% of his passes for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Over his Colorado tenure, Sanders shattered the NCAA’s all-time career completion percentage record (71.8%) and finished as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, guiding the Buffaloes to their first bowl appearance since 2020.

Despite entering the 2025 NFL Draft projected as a potential first-round pick, concerns surrounding pre-draft interviews, scheme fit and the off-field spotlight generated by his father, prompted doubt among some evaluators.

As a result, Sanders plummeted into Day 3 and was selected by the Browns in the fifth round, 144th overall.

Cleveland also drafted Gabriel in the third round, leaving Sanders listed as the No. 4 option on the team’s initial depth chart, behind Joe Flacco, Pickett and Gabriel.

Colin Cowherd’s “Perfect Scenario” for the Cleveland Browns

Cowherd dismantled the notion that Cleveland would be "sabotaging" Sanders by limiting his first-team reps, dismissing comparisons to a wedge-driven setup. Instead, he outlined a three-step plan:

1. Establish Sanders as a capable backup by letting him play well in preseason and earn trust within the organization.
2. Trade Kenny Pickett, who’s under contract through 2025, to recoup a mid- to late-round pick (fifth, sixth or seventh round).
3. Deal Sanders at year’s end for another mid- to late-round pick, assuming he has shown he can run the offense in relief.

Those combined picks, Cowherd argued, would give the Browns the ammunition to select a blue-chip quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, pointing to Denver’s handling of Bo Nix as a template.

The Browns already own two first-round picks in 2026 (theirs and Jacksonville's) as well as a few late-rounders, but adding more could allow them to package assets for a higher first-round slot or simply build out the roster.

With multiple pathways to 2026 assets, the Browns' next moves will reveal whether they’re content to tinker around the edges or ready to swing for a franchise quarterback from one of next year’s top prospects.