Shedeur Sanders finally lands with Browns in fifth round to end dramatic NFL draft tumble

Shedeur Sanders’ NFL draft slide finally ended two days later.

The Browns traded up and took Sanders with the No. 144 overall pick in the fifth round Saturday he after he was stunningly passed over in the first three rounds.

The selection ended months of chatter over where the notable quarterback prospect would begin his pro football career and came after several teams, including the same Browns, Giants, Steelers, Raiders and Saints, passed over Sanders on Day 1.

The Browns even again elected not to take Sanders twice in the early portion of the second round of the NFL festivities, taking place in Green Bay, Wis, and he lasted through 102 picks.

Cleveland previously selected Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel with the 94th pick before taking Sanders exactly 50 picks later.

Sanders is coming off a 2024 season at Colorado in which he was named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Shedeur Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes passes the football in the fourth quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Folsom Field on November 4, 2023, in Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images

He threw for 64 touchdown passes over his two seasons, a school record. 

Prior to arriving in Boulder, the quarterback had played the first two years of his college football career at Jackson State.

Over the course of his four years in college, Sanders threw a combined 134 touchdown passes and recorded 14,347 passing yards. 

Follow The Post’s live coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft

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• Jets pick-by-pick tracker and analysis
• Shedeur Sanders sends message before Day 3 amid slide

Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders looks on during a ceremony to retire his jersey before the Black and Gold Spring Game at Folsom Field on April 19, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado. Getty Images for ONIT

Sanders, who played under his father Deion at both collegiate stops, has been one of the most scrutinized players in this year’s draft class, and his draft stock has fluctuated since the 2024 season ended.

The QB had been believed to be a top-five pick at one point and was linked to the Giants, who ended up taking Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick and then trading for pick No. 25 to take another quarterback — Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart.