CLEVELAND, May 27 — Shedeur Sanders entered the offseason with a noticeable lift in poise, according to teammates, as the Browns prepare for his second NFL season. Wide‑receiver veteran Jerry Jeady praised the young quarterback on Wednesday, saying the repetition from his rookie year translated into a calmer, more commanding presence on the field. The comments arrive at a pivotal moment for Cleveland, which has been scrambling for a long‑term solution at quarterback since the departure of Baker Mayfield in 2022 and the brief, injury‑marred tenure of Deshaun Watson in 2023‑24.
From Oklahoma to Cleveland: A brief background
Shedeur Sanders arrived in Cleveland as the 163rd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The son of Heisman‑winning Alabama coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur spent three seasons at the University of Oklahoma, where he posted a 67.9 percent completion rate, 3,452 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his final year. His college résumé was highlighted by a dual‑threat skill set—he averaged 4.5 yards per carry and amassed 600 rushing yards in 2024—yet scouts downgraded his draft stock because of perceived inconsistencies in pocket awareness and a limited offensive line at OU.
In Cleveland, the fifth‑round selection was framed as a low‑cost, high‑upside gamble. General manager Andrew Berry, who inherited a franchise that had not drafted a quarterback in the first three rounds since 2011, described Sanders as “a player with a champion’s pedigree who can grow into a starter if we give him the right environment.” Berry’s strategy mirrors the front office’s broader trend of finding value in later rounds, a philosophy that produced Pro Bowl talent at tight end (David Njoku, 2017) and defensive end (John Franklin‑Crawford, 2020).
Rookie campaign in numbers and nuance
During the 2025 campaign, Sanders appeared in eight games, completing 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and ten interceptions. He logged 24 pass attempts per game on average, threw the ball on 55 percent of offensive snaps, and was sacked five times. While the raw statistics hint at growing pains, they also reveal a quarterback who was trusted enough to handle the third‑down conversion duty in the second half of several contests. His passer rating of 78.2 was the lowest among Browns quarterbacks with at least 300 passing attempts, but the metric masks the context: most of his snaps came in garbage‑time situations against backup defenses.
What analysts like former NFL scout Chris Collins emphasized was the intangible shift: more comfort, confidence, and command with each snap. In a post‑game interview after the Week 13 loss to the Titans, Sanders said, “I’m learning the speed of the NFL. Every day feels like a new lesson, but I’m getting better at reading the defense before they even show the blitz.” That comment resonated with Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who noted that Sanders’ pre‑snap cadence improved from a hurried 1.2 seconds in 2024 to a more deliberate 1.6 seconds in 2025, giving his offensive line a clearer picture of protection schemes.
Offseason work: spring minicamp to OTAs
Sanders spent the past month at the Browns’ spring minicamp, where coaches observed a quicker pre‑snap cadence and a faster release. By the end of the week, he was running play‑action drills with receivers and showing a tighter footwork pattern that should help him sell the run. Veteran left tackle Jedrick Wills praised the quarterback’s new rhythm, stating, “When Shedeur steps back and looks downfield, you see he’s buying time for the line. That’s a big jump from last year.”
The quarterback also added weight during the offseason, gaining 7 pounds of lean muscle to better absorb hits. Strength‑and‑conditioning coach Luke Fickell reported that Sanders’ 40‑yard dash time dropped from 4.71 seconds to 4.62 seconds, a marginal but meaningful improvement for a signal‑caller who needs to extend plays with his legs.
Organized Team Activities (OTAs) will begin on June 12, with a mandatory minicamp scheduled for July 3. The Browns have publicly committed to giving Sanders at least three additional reps per practice compared with his rookie year. Van Pelt explained that the extra reps are intended to accelerate his grasp of the play‑action concepts that dominate Cleveland’s offensive playbook.
Scheme fit: The Browns’ evolving offense
The Browns entered the 2026 offseason transitioning from a run‑heavy, zone‑blocking scheme under former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to a more balanced, play‑action‑centric attack under Van Pelt. The new system leans heavily on the ability of the quarterback to sell the run, stretch the field vertically, and make quick reads against disguised blitzes.
Sanders’ college experience in a spread offense that frequently utilized quarterback runs aligns well with this vision. In the 2024 season at Oklahoma, he averaged 15.2 yards per play‑action pass, ranking third in the Big 12. His familiarity with audibles and pre‑snap reads should help him thrive alongside tight end David Njoku, who posted 1,150 receiving yards in 2025, and rookie wide receiver Jalen Morrison, a 2025 second‑round pick known for his deep‑ball speed.
Moreover, the Browns have bolstered their offensive line with the signing of veteran guard Brandon Williams and the drafting of defensive tackle guard prospect Malik Thompson in the second round. The improved protection should give Sanders the pocket time he lacked as a rookie, where he was sacked at a rate of 4.5 per 100 pass attempts.
Comparative analysis: Past low‑round QBs who blossomed
Historically, the NFL has seen several late‑round quarterbacks develop into starters or even stars: Tom Brady (6th round, 1998), Russell Wilson (3rd round, 2012) and more recently, Kirk Cousins (4th round, 2012). While the odds are slim—only about 12 percent of fifth‑round QBs become long‑term starters—the Browns appear willing to bet on the developmental upside.
Comparing Sanders to his contemporaries, such as Trevor Lawrence (first‑round pick, Jacksonville) and Jordan Love (undrafted free agent, Seattle), reveals a divergent path. Lawrence entered Jacksonville with a franchise‑changing contract and faced immediate starter pressure, whereas Sanders has the luxury of a gradual learning curve in a rebuilding organization. Love, meanwhile, has bounced between practice squads, highlighting how quickly a quarterback can disappear without consistent coaching support.
Impact on the Browns’ depth chart and fantasy outlook
The confidence surge could reshape Cleveland’s quarterback depth chart, forcing the front office to decide whether to invest in a veteran—such as free‑agent Zach Wilson, who is expected to sign a one‑year, $7 million deal—or back a homegrown talent. If Sanders continues to command the offense in OTAs, he may earn a larger share of the snaps in the regular‑season openers, potentially relegating veteran starter Deshaun Watson (who is still on the roster after a 2025 injury) to a backup role.
For fantasy owners, the quarterback’s preseason snap count will be the first indicator of his draft stock for 2026. A strong showing—particularly if he throws for multiple touchdowns in the preseason—could elevate him from a bench stash to a late‑round flyer. However, the ten interceptions from his rookie year remind fans that consistency remains a hurdle. Analysts at FantasyPros project a floor of 12 fantasy points per game if he starts, with a ceiling of 22 points should he thrive in a play‑action‑heavy offense.
Coaching strategy: How Van Pelt plans to use Sanders
Van Pelt outlined a phased approach during the press conference on May 26. In the first phase (preseason), Sanders will run the full playbook in practice, focusing on short‑to‑intermediate routes and roll‑out passes to build confidence. In the second phase (early regular season), he will split snaps with Watson, primarily handling third‑down and red‑zone situations where his mobility can create mismatches. By the third phase (mid‑season), if his decision‑making metrics—such as a turnover rate below 2 percent—improve, the Browns will consider him for the starting role.
Van Pelt also emphasized the importance of the quarterback‑receiver rapport. He noted that Sanders and Jeady have already logged 45 minutes of route‑tree timing drills, resulting in a 0.15‑second improvement in release timing, a statistic that translates to tighter windows for deep throws.
Key developments
- Sanders was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, a value pick that gave Cleveland a low‑cost quarterback prospect.
- He will attend a second round of organized team activities (OTAs) followed by a mandatory minicamp before training camp opens.
- Statistically, Sanders posted a 56.6% completion rate, 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and ten interceptions in his rookie season.
- Jerry Jeady, a former second‑round pick, publicly commended Sanders’ growth, noting the quarterback’s increased confidence during preseason drills.
- The Browns’ coaching staff plans to give Sanders at least three additional reps per practice to evaluate his readiness for a potential starting role.
- Offensive line upgrades and a revamped play‑action scheme aim to reduce Sanders’ sack rate from 4.5 per 100 attempts to under 3.0 in 2026.
- Fantasy projections place Sanders as a high‑upside QB3 in deeper leagues if he secures a significant snap share by Week 3.
When was Shedeur Sanders drafted and by which team?
Sanders was chosen in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, a selection viewed as a low‑risk investment in a quarterback with strong college pedigree.
How did Sanders perform statistically in his rookie season?
He completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, threw seven touchdowns and ten interceptions across eight games, showing flashes of talent but also areas needing refinement.
What does Jerry Jeady say about Sanders’ development?
Jeady said Sanders is “more comfortable, more confident and in command” after a year of NFL reps, highlighting the intangible growth that numbers alone don’t capture.
