Did this character concern cause Browns' Shedeur Sanders to fall to fifth round of 2025 NFL Draft?

Roughly 12 months ago, it seemed to be a lock that quarterback Shedeur Sanders would become a first-round pick during the 2025 NFL Draft. However, Sanders stunningly remained on the board until the Cleveland Browns took a flier on him in the fifth-round of the player-selection process. 

Much has been said and written about how Sanders' alleged handling of the predraft process impacted how teams around the NFL viewed him last offseason. During a Tuesday appearance on Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, league insider Adam Caplan of SiriusXM and other outlets spoke about the red flags that hovered over Sanders last spring. 

Teams doubted that Shedeur Sanders was fully dedicated to becoming a franchise QB?

"It has nothing to do with off the field," Caplan explained. "We're not talking about getting into any trouble. We're talking about, was he totally committed to being a great quarterback? ...There was a sense that, is he committed to being a great player? Is he totally committed to doing it?" 

Caplan added that people within the Browns are pleased with how Sanders performed behind the scenes during his first pro season. That said, the Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski in January and later replaced him with advertised quarterback guru Todd Monken. By all accounts, Monken is serious about giving Sanders and veteran Deshaun Watson opportunities to win the starting job later this summer. 

It sounds like Browns general manager Andrew Berry wasn't ready to give up on Sanders after having him in the building for less than a year. 

What did Browns tell coaching candidates about Shedeur Sanders earlier this offseason? 

"There was this belief in coaching circles that if you want to work with the Browns, you've got to at least believe that Shedeur Sanders will be a factor in the quarterback position," Caplan revealed about the team's hiring process. "Nobody's handing him the job, to be clear. But there was this belief that, look, there's talent with this guy. There's no doubt about it. As a matter of fact, I strongly believe, had there not been concerns with his character, he would not have gotten out of the third round (of last year's draft)." 

Shortly before the 2025 draft got underway, a report detailed how Sanders allegedly came off poorly and seemed "entitled" during formal interviews with teams. Whatever did and/or didn't happen over the first four months of last year is now in the past, and Sanders' on-the-field performances should determine whether or not he enters September 2026 as Cleveland's QB1 over Watson.