Honestly, the draft slide felt like a movie script that went off the rails. Everyone expected Shedeur Sanders to be a top-ten lock, maybe even the first overall pick. Instead, we watched him tumble all the way to the fifth round, pick 144, where the Cleveland Browns finally stopped the bleeding.
It was a shocker.
But if you’ve followed his career from Jackson State to Boulder, you know he doesn’t stay down for long. By the end of his rookie 2025 season, the Shedeur Sanders depth chart situation looked completely different than it did on draft night. He didn't just sit on the bench and collect a paycheck. He fought his way up.
The 2025 Rookie Climb: From QB4 to Starter
When Shedeur arrived in Cleveland, the room was crowded. You had a rehabbed Deshaun Watson, the veteran Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett. Plus, the Browns had actually drafted another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, two rounds before Shedeur. On paper, Shedeur was the "project" at the bottom of the list.
It didn't stay that way.
Watson’s Achilles injury lingered, and Gabriel struggled with the speed of the NFL game during his six starts. By Week 12, the coaching staff had seen enough. They handed the keys to Shedeur.
He didn't disappoint.
In seven starts, he went 3-4. That might not sound like a Hall of Fame pace, but for a rookie in a struggling offense, it was massive. He racked up 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. More importantly, he showed that "ice in the veins" composure he was famous for at Colorado. He led a game-winning drive against the Bengals in the season finale, effectively cementing his place as a legitimate NFL starter.
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Breaking Down the Competition
Right now, as we head into the 2026 offseason, the hierarchy is messy.
- Shedeur Sanders: The incumbent starter who won the locker room by finishing the season with two straight wins.
- Deshaun Watson: The massive contract. He’ll be healthy in 2026, and the team is financially tied to him, which makes the depth chart a political nightmare.
- Dillon Gabriel: Currently the odd man out. Despite being a higher draft pick, he lost the head-to-head battle with Sanders in practice and on the field.
- The Draft Factor: Cleveland holds the No. 7 pick in the 2026 draft. Do they take another QB like Ty Simpson?
What Most People Get Wrong About His "High Ceiling"
There’s this weird narrative that Shedeur has a "low ceiling" because he isn't a 6'5" monster with a cannon arm. Scouts at the 2025 Combine kept harping on his 6'1" frame and "average" arm strength.
They're missing the point.
Sanders is a processor. At Colorado, he played behind an offensive line that was basically a collection of turnstiles. He was sacked 90 times in two years. Most QBs would be seeing ghosts after that. Instead, he posted an 81.8% adjusted completion percentage in 2024.
He doesn't need to throw it 70 yards. He needs to be accurate in the intermediate game, and he is. In his rookie NFL starts, his PFF passing grade on third-and-long remained in the 80th percentile. That translates.
The Post-Shedeur Era in Colorado
While Shedeur is fighting for QB1 in the NFL, his old team is moving on. The 2025 Colorado Buffaloes depth chart looks vastly different. Coach Prime didn't just recruit one replacement; he overhauled the whole room.
- Kaidon Salter: The Liberty transfer took over the starting role immediately. He’s a different beast—more of a true dual-threat who rushed for 1,600 yards in his final two seasons at Liberty.
- Julian "JuJu" Lewis: The 17-year-old phenom. He’s the future. Prime has been vocal about giving him snaps early to prep him for the 2026 season.
- Ryan Staub: The reliable backup who stayed loyal through the transition.
It’s a more balanced room than when Shedeur was there. Back then, it was Shedeur or bust. Now, Colorado has variety, but they definitely miss that surgical accuracy that only No. 2 could provide.
Why 2026 is the Make-or-Break Year
The Shedeur Sanders depth chart status is currently "unofficial QB1," but that’s a dangerous place to be in Cleveland. With a new coaching search underway and Deshaun Watson’s $230 million contract still on the books, Shedeur is in a state of limbo.
If the Browns hire a coach who wants a mobile, RPO-heavy system, Shedeur might be trade bait. If they hire a guy who values pocket poise and pre-snap reads, he’s their franchise guy.
He’s also becoming a mogul. His Nike "Legendary" line is already sparking Jordan-level hype. He’s the first college-to-pro athlete to really bridge the gap between "player" and "brand" before even winning a playoff game.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're tracking his progress, stop looking at his rushing yards. He's never going to be Lamar Jackson.
Watch his Sack-to-Pressure ratio. That was his biggest weakness at Colorado—holding the ball too long. In his final three games with the Browns, that time-to-throw dropped from 3.18 seconds to 2.85. That's the metric that keeps him on the field.
Keep a close eye on the Browns' 2026 Draft strategy. If they pass on a QB at No. 7 and focus on an offensive tackle (like they did with Mason Graham in 2025), it’s a massive vote of confidence for Shedeur.
The talent is there. The wins are starting to come. Now, he just has to survive the front-office politics of a franchise that’s known for changing its mind every twelve months.