The Denver Broncos were not one of the team that could have selected Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the NFL Draft, as the Broncos already have Bo Nix under center.
However, that does not mean Broncos head coach Sean Payton was not well aware of just how talented Sanders really is.
When asked about Sanders slipping in the draft, Payton didn’t hold back.
“I think we all are surprised, and the talent; holy cow,” Payton told reporters. “… I felt like I grew up watching him play. There will be this chip on his shoulder and beware, because this guy is going to play in this league. I think it’s hard for any of us to explain what other people are looking for. … Yeah, I just think it’s surprising.”
Sanders was widely viewed as the No. 2 quarterback prospect behind Cam Ward heading into the draft, but a bunch of signal-callers were selected before him until he finally landed with the Browns in the fifth round this past Saturday.
Heck, the Browns themselves took Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round before eventually trading up for Sanders the following day. It’s entirely possible Cleveland had no intention of nabbing Sanders going into the draft, but decided to jump on the opportunity when it saw how far the Colorado Buffaloes product had fallen on Day 3.
Sanders led the nation in completion percentage this past season and threw 37 touchdown passes. We’ll see if he gets the chance to start for the Browns in 2025.
