As more time passes, the details surrounding the mystery of Shedeur Sanders' draft slide are beginning to come into focus.
As the story unfolded, a host of teams passed on Sanders multiple times before the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round. Ahead of Week 2 of the NFL season, ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed that Sanders could have gone earlier to the Baltimore Ravens, but he expressed no interest in joining their team.
Sanders, 23, is the third quarterback on Cleveland's roster behind veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel. His disinterest in being selected by the Ravens is reportedly rooted in where he would have landed on the depth chart in Baltimore.
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Here's more to know about the draft-day situation that could have been.
Why didn't the Ravens draft Shedeur Sanders?
The Ravens intended to select Sanders with the 141st pick in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, according to Schefter. Before Baltimore could make the selection, however, Sanders informed the franchise that he did not want to be on a roster with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson.
Baltimore obliged, selected offensive lineman Carson Vinson instead, and Sanders was selected by Cleveland three picks later.
The rationale behind Sanders' reported preference was an understanding that Jackson, 28, would be in the driver's seat in Baltimore for the present and foreseeable future.
MORE: Why Shedeur Sanders slid in 2025 NFL Draft despite first-round projections
Schefter reports that Sanders knew Jackson "was not going to be losing his job as Baltimore's starting quarterback anytime soon," adding that "the message was conveyed to the Ravens that Sanders did not want to be drafted by Baltimore and preferred to end up in a place where he might have a better chance to play sooner."
Ravens planned to take Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round, but before Baltimore could turn in the card, the former Colorado star let it be known that he didn’t want to be on a roster with Lamar Jackson, where he would be a backup. https://t.co/v1om447zHN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 14, 2025
Sanders' preseason with Cleveland was filled with ups and downs, beginning with an impressive debut, only for him to be set back by an oblique injury. Despite finishing the preseason with a shaky performance in the Week 3 finale, Sanders was one of the three QBs to make Cleveland's 53-man roster.
With the bigger picture in view, Sanders is jockeying with Gabriel, a fellow rookie, to become the potential successor for the 40-year-old Flacco, who is nearing the end of his NFL career.
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There are a few poetic parallels at play here, as Sanders' father, Deion, finished his NFL career with the Ravens in 2005. The news also comes nearly seven years after Jackson replaced a 32-year-old Flacco as Baltimore's starting QB.
While Sanders did not make his NFL debut in Week 1, he remains one of the most intriguing rookies due to his NFL roots and path to the league. The details around his draft-day fall only add to the lore.
The rookie quarterback was asked about the report following the Browns' Week 2 loss to the Ravens. Here is his answer:
"My response is I'm focused on the now. I don't really talk about anything in the past and whatever happened in the past, it is what it is. I'm more focused on now, I'm more focused on how this game that we just gone and had and figuring out how to move forward from now."
Where was Shedeur Sanders drafted?
Sanders was drafted with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Here is how the draft order around Sanders played out:
| Round | Pick No. | Team | Player |
| 5 | 141 | Baltimore Ravens | Carson Vinson, OT |
| 5 | 142 | Seattle Seahawks | Rylie Mills, DT |
| 5 | 143 | Miami Dolphins | Jordan Phillips, DT |
| 5 | 144 | Cleveland Browns | Shedeur Sanders, QB |
| 5 | 145 | Philadelphia Eagles | Mac McWilliams, CB |