Browns’ Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft trade tells fans not to give up on rookie QB yet

Billy Heyen

Browns’ Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft trade tells fans not to give up on rookie QB yet image

It's easy to forget it now. There was so much chaos around Shedeur Sanders' NFL Draft free fall and eventual selection by the Cleveland Browns at No. 144 overall.

But it's an important fact: The Browns traded for that draft pick to come and get Sanders.

Cleveland wasn't slated to pick at that spot early in the fifth round. The Seattle Seahawks held the selection.

But the Browns came up to get Sanders, and that's important. It was an additional investment in the QB out of Colorado, one that means that even though he's QB3 to start the 2025 NFL regular season, his fans should still believe that Cleveland will give him a fair shake.

"Cleveland trading up to go and get him, there's a lot of his fanbase saying, why are we not seeing him get those reps with the first team?" local TV reporter Leah Doherty said on Friday. "... He's getting an opportunity just like every other guy... There's a real chance we could see him at some point this season."

MORE: The latest on Shilo Sanders' chances to stick in the NFL

What did the Browns trade to get Shedeur Sanders?

The Browns needed to do a 2-for-1 draft pick deal to get Shedeur Sanders in April.

The deal, completed on day three of the draft, sent picks 166 and 192 to the Seahawks with pick 144 coming to the Browns.

The Browns made this deal despite already having drafted Dillon Gabriel exactly 50 picks early, at No. 94 in the third. Clearly they had some conviction about Sanders, too.

MORE: Myles Garrett is Joe Burrow's nightmare, and the stats prove it

What did the Seahawks take with the Shedeur Sanders traded draft picks?

Seattle kept both picks acquired from the Browns.

At No. 166 in the fifth round, they chose WR Tory Horton out of Colorado State.

At No. 192 in the sixth round, they chose offensive guard Bryce Cabeldue out of Kansas.

Time will tell how those selections compare to Sanders.

MORE NFL NEWS:

Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle