The Cleveland Browns selected the Colorado Field Marshal Sanders with the 144 team in the fifth round of the NFL draft on Saturday, an amazing slip by the boards for what was considered by many a first round block.
Sanders was a lightning lightning rod during the Draft season. While many project it as a first round selection, anywhere as high as the number 3 of New York giants or for the Pittsburgh Steelers at number 21, it was not recruited in the first two nights.
Finally, Sanders was selected in the fifth round by Cleveland. Five quartbacks: Cam Ward de Miami, Jaxson Dart de Ole Miss, Tyler Shough of Louisville, Jalen Milroe de Alabama and Dillon Gabriel de Oregon, advanced to Sanders.
Minutes after the selection was made, Sanders published in X, simply saying: “Thank God.”
The Browns shortly after published a Sanders’ reel with the title, “another game creator in the mixture.”
Upon entering Saturday, Sanders was the best prospect that was still available, according to Connor Rogers of NBC Sports, who classified Sanders 30º on his NFL Draft board.
Sanders, son of the NFL Hall of Fame and the Buffaloes coach, Deion Sanders, began his university career in Jackson State in 2021 when his father was the chief coach. Both went to Colorado after the 2022 season, and Shedeur Sanders spent their last two years at the University with the Buffaloes.
In his senior season, Sanders won Big 12 offensive player of the year, completing 74.0% of his passes, with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also threw 4,134 yards.
Sanders was a key figure in the change of Colorado as a football program. The school won only one game the season before arrival. In 2024, Buffaloes won nine games for the first time since 2016.
In the period prior to the draft, Sanders was the objective of several explorers and coaches, and his character outside the field was often questioned.
