Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Analyst offers surprising take about Shedeur Sanders' chances of starting Week 1 for Browns

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 2:02 PM ET

Don't pencil in quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the Cleveland Browns' Week 1 starter just yet.

During the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders, once considered a surefire first-rounder, fell to the fifth round, where the Browns took him with pick No. 144. ESPN's Ben Solak believes the Colorado product must work his way up the depth chart like a typical Day 3 pick.

"Fifth-round picks don't start Week 1," Solak said Monday on FanDuel's "Up & Adams." "I think he's more likely than every other fifth-round pick to start, but I still wouldn't say it's likely...especially because of how crowded the room is."

Any chance we see QB Shedeur Sanders start for the Browns this season?

"5th-round picks don't start week 1." @heykayadams | @BenjaminSolak pic.twitter.com/ETqMXZLhKk
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 28, 2025

The Browns QB room could best be described as a logjam. It includes Sanders, fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson. However, Watson is expected to miss most of the season after suffering a second Achilles injury in January.

Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer/Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, is Cleveland's most famous QB. Even so, his family name doesn't entitle him to the starting job.

"I think Shedeur has grown up in the spotlight," Browns general manager Andrew Berry said after the draft. "But our expectation is for him to come in here and compete."

Shedeur Sanders seems to understand that.

"Get there and handle my business, do what I have to do," Shedeur Sanders told the media Sunday. "Whatever role that is, I'm just thankful for the opportunity so that's all I can ask for. The rest is on me."

Shedeur may not play for the Browns immediately, but that doesn't mean he'll spend the entire 2025 season on the bench.

Cleveland seems to lack a clear guy in its QB room. Flacco turned 40 on Jan. 16, while Pickett completed a below-average 62.4 percent of his passes in his first three seasons with the Eagles and Steelers. Gabriel (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) lacks the prototypical size for an NFL QB.

If one of these QBs starts and struggles, the front office may pressure Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski into playing Shedeur Sanders.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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