If you happened to watch the 2025 NFL Draft coverage on ESPN over the weekend, you probably heard Mel Kiper Jr. talk often and loudly about his disgust with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders falling out of the first four rounds of the event.
After the Browns finally selected Sanders with the 144th pick in the draft, Kiper rewarded Cleveland with the highest draft grade of any team in a recent article.
Browns Receive Only A+ Grade from Mel Kiper Jr. for 2025 NFL Draft
Kiper has never been one to shy away from strong takes during his time at ESPN, but one could argue the veteran draft analyst was fired up throughout most of the weekend due the unexpected slide of his top quarterback prospect down the board.
Kiper released his draft grades over at ESPN.com earlier this week, where he awarded the Browns with the only A+ grade from his review of the event.
Kiper wrote, “The other main reason I gave the Browns an A+ shouldnât be a surprise. They got quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 144 to finish their seven-pick draft. He was my No. 5 overall prospect in the class and clear QB1. He brings excellent accuracy, completing 74% of his throws last season. He brings toughness in the pocket. I think he will be an outstanding pro QB, and I believe we will look back on this pick in a few years and question what the rest of the NFL was doing.”
Sanders had a very productive career at Colorado, throwing for 7,364 yards and 64 touchdowns over two seasons with the Buffaloes.
Throughout much of the pre-draft process, Kiper often spoke very highly of Sanders and even had him rated higher than No. 1 overall pick from Miami, Cam Ward.
Sanders was probably the main reason why Kiper gave the Browns such a favorable grade, but he did mention the Browns trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars as another factor in his review.
Kiper added, “But the Browns also added a lot of draft capital here, including a 2026 first-rounder. This is a massive part of why they earned my top grade. Jacksonville isnât exactly a playoff lock, so that could be a high pick next April.”
One could make the argument that using two picks at the quarterback, one of which was the Day 2 selection of Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, should prevent them from receiving an A+ due to spending a valuable round-three pick on another quarterback when only one can start under center at a time — but Kiper likely sees Sanders being such a value in round five that this automatically makes the event a great success.
What Can Browns Fans Expect From Shedeur Sanders in 2025?
Shedeur Sanders now finds himself in a very interesting position. He is one of five quarterbacks on the roster — which include Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and the aforementioned Gabriel — looking to compete for roster spot and potentially a starting role this season.
Watson is still recovering from a torn ACL, which does make his status to start the 2025 NFL season a bit uncertain at this time.
Sanders will have plenty of competition for reps in training camp, but does have a legitimate opportunity to see the field in his rookie year if he manages to pick up the offensive scheme and adjust to the playing speed of the NFL during the preseason and training camp.
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