Scouting Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns' QB Problem

The Cleveland Browns just might have something in rookie Shedeur Sanders.

After a quarter-century of searching for an elusive franchise quarterback, a ray of hope has broken through the cloud of futility. Will it dissipate or broaden into a beacon and lead the way like a lighthouse off the shores of Lake Erie?

It's a cloudy situation, though, especially after the Colorado product suffered an oblique injury during Wednesday's joint practice against the Philadelphia Eagles, per Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

During the 2025 NFL draft cycle, Bleacher Report scout Dame Parson evaluated Sanders throughout the process. He already saw a difference between the prospect who eventually became a fifth-round draft pick and the player who took the field against the Carolina Panthers in Cleveland's first preseason game.

Before going any further, context is necessary.

Sanders was viewed by many outside of NFL franchises as a top quarterback prospect throughout the 2024 campaign. He was believed to be in competition for the QB1 spot. Even his biggest detractors thought he'd be a Day 2 pick at worst. Instead, he slipped all the way to the 144th overall pick and wasn't even the first signal-caller taken by the team that selected him.

"In this case, a lot of teams either had a tough [predraft] experience with Sanders or didn't have an experience with him at all," Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted. "Which made it tough to spend a pick on him, because if you were looking for a developmental quarterback who'd be content to slide into the shadows [as a backup] and work at his craft, this didn't seem like the guy."

Sanders has done everything Breer laid out, and his first real sample of NFL action, albeit one preseason contest, indicates he's taken everything to heart. He can compete to eventually start in Cleveland, as long as he can get back onto the field in relatively quick fashion.

Area Where Sanders Continues to Shine

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Kaden Davis

Sanders posted impressive numbers throughout his collegiate career, whether he was at the FCS level with Jackson State or part of the revival experienced with the Colorado Buffaloes program.

From an individual standpoint, he thrived when working within the structure of the offensive scheme and serving as a point guard on grass. He threw for 14,347 yards and 134 touchdowns during his four years as a starter between the two programs. Uncanny accuracy and ball placement have always been his calling card.

Sometimes, those traits don't translate as the game speeds up at the professional level, and individuals become rattled when they're not comfortable in the pocket or with their assignment.

In Sanders' case, everything translated to the field at first blush.

"Sanders is a timing, rhythmic pocket passer with functional mobility," Parson said after Friday's performance against Carolina. "Once he got into a rhythm against the Panthers, Sanders displayed the ball placement we look for when evaluating quarterback prospects. His two touchdown throws were precision passes either between two converging defenders or leading his receiver away from his defender and protecting him with a great low throw."

To Parson's point, the first touchdown to wide receiver Kaden Davis was particularly impressive.

The play included bootleg action, with Sanders rolling to left. He did so before he squared and reset his feet. He then found Davis in the window between a triangle of defenders, with a perfectly placed pass that resulted in the Browns' initial score.

The second scoring throw provided two positives.

First, Sanders showed good pocket awareness by moving to his right as the running back picked up the oncoming linebacker. The quarterback reset, then drove the ball low to the in-cutting Davis.

These are legitimate NFL throws that show exactly how the 23-year-old can succeed as a professional quarterback.

Obvious Improvement in Sanders' Game

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Accuracy and anticipation are not the same thing when evaluating a quarterback.

At the collegiate level, a quarterback can deliver the ball accurately without the need to anticipate throwing windows due to schemes, wider hashmarks and coverages, which are often soft and allow free releases.

Case in point, Sanders was widely known as a precise passer. But he didn't necessarily see the game as well as expected, which may have been the product of multiple collegiate systems and how they were coached.

As a result, he had his issues seeing the field in its entirety and, instead, relied too heavily on trying to make something happen when all else failed.

"However, Sanders takes too many hits because he tries to make a play and holds onto the ball," Parson wrote in the quarterback's scouting report. "Sanders must improve his anticipation and get the ball out of his hands quicker."

In the NFL, the name of the game for modern defenses is confusing a quarterback's reads while squeezing throwing lanes. They're going to make an offense work for everything with an emphasis on limiting chunk plays.

Granted, Carolina's No. 1 defense wasn't on the field in its entirety. However, improvement can still be seen from an individual perspective, specifically when it comes to mechanics being tightened and his overall feel for the game.

"Sanders appeared to anticipate lanes better and get the ball out to his teammates in space," Parson said. "When protected, he can get into a zone and be a near-surgical passer. His game translates to the NFL and provides hope for his future as a potential starter."

Cleveland's staff helped with simple reads to get the rookie into a groove. As the game progressed, Sanders looked more and more comfortable working through his progressions and delivering the football.

Good and Bad Within Sanders' Movement Skills

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The two biggest negatives during Sanders' play were obvious. Too often, he faded in the pocket instead of stepping into and driving throws, and he also turned poorly blocked snaps into worse situations because of a propensity to scramble backwards.

As Parson noted in Sanders' scouting report: "He does not utilize his athleticism enough to escape the pocket quickly and avoid pressure. [He] needs to limit pocket drifting when sensing pressure, step up and make the throw."

To be fair, Colorado's offensive line play and protection schemes were quite poor over the last two seasons and the quarterback faced far too much pressure, which has a propensity to create bad habits.

While a couple of instances indicated those issues are still buried deep in Sanders' subconscious, he displayed excellent pocket movement overall, got the ball out quickly in most cases and even showed he's a better athlete than expected when breaking the pocket.

"An area he improved to an extent from his scouting report was using his legs to escape pressure," Parson said. "The play where he ran the Panthers' edge-rushers around and reversed field to prevent a major loss of yardage was nice to see. That said, he is still drifting a bit in the pocket even on that play. He needs to throw it away to save himself from unnecessary hits against better defenders."

Sanders is never going to be mistaken for the most athletic quarterback and doesn't have a huge arm, so it's imperative he works on schedule and doesn't exacerbate problems.

What's Next for Sanders and Cleveland Browns?

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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski

The Browns are nowhere near the point where they're ready to anoint a rookie quarterback. In fact, the team is seemingly taking the opposite approach.

During Wednesday's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles, veteran Joe Flacco took the 11-on-11 reps with the first-team offense, while rookie Dillon Gabriel saw time with the second group, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Sanders will start the second preseason contest if Gabriel and Kenny Pickett aren't cleared due to lingering injuries. Although, Gabriel's participation against the Eagles signals he'll be ready to make his preseason debut.

Also, Sanders' status for Saturday's game is now in doubt due to his recent injury.

Even so, he impressed during the first game action. No one can take that away from him. At the same time, the Browns are clearly entrenched with their plan to start a veteran at the onset of the 2025 campaign.

Within the organization, Sanders still has to prove he's a better option than Gabriel, who was selected two rounds earlier in April.

What the fifth-round draft pick managed with his initial performance is that he can't be counted out of this competition. He should receive more preseason opportunities, be it this week or next.

If the Browns falter during the regular season, the organization will likely turn its attention toward the two young quarterbacks on the roster. As long as a healthy Sanders continues to do what he's done so far, he should have an opportunity to prove himself as viable option.