Browns GM Andrew Berry gets 100% honest on drafting Shedeur Sanders late in round 5
Cleveland Browns General Manager Andrew Berry downplayed the selection of quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. He framed the pick as a value decision rather than a headline-grabbing move.
Berry - the Browns's Executive Vice President and General Manager since 2020 - addressed the media on Saturday. This is after the team selected Sanders with the 144th overall pick.
During a post-draft press conference, Andrew Berry explained the organization's thinking behind trading up to select the now-former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback. Many analysts considered Shedeur Sanders to go much earlier in the draft.
"We live by our board. We felt like he was a good solid prospect at the most important position. We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the relative. The acquisition cost was pretty light and it's a guy that we think can out produce his draft slot," said Berry.
Sanders's draft slide was one of the biggest storylines of the 2025 NFL draft. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders had been projected as high as a top-five pick earlier in the draft process before ultimately falling to the fifth round.
No special treatments for Shedeur Sanders
Berry made it clear that despite Shedeur's high profile and college accolades, the quarterback would receive no special treatment in Cleveland:
"Obviously Shedeur has kind of grown up in the spotlight. But our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete. Nothing's been promised, nothing will be given," Berry stated during the press conference.
The Browns traded picks 166 and 192 to the Philadelphia Eagles to move up and select Sanders at 144 overall. The move came after Cleveland had already selected Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round at pick 94.
Sanders joins a suddenly crowded quarterback room in Cleveland. The Browns have added four quarterbacks this offseason, with Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel through the draft besides veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett through free agency.
The Colorado signal-caller arrives in Cleveland with an impressive collegiate resume. Sanders was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 after throwing for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He led the FBS with a 74 percent completion rate last season.
Before Colorado, Shedeur Sanders played two seasons at Jackson State. In his four-year college career, he accumulated 14,347 passing yards and 134 touchdowns.
Despite these credentials, Andrew Berry tried to temper expectations about the pick's significance:
“I may hesitate to characterize it as a blockbuster. That's not necessarily how we thought of the transaction, but we are excited to work with him," Berry said.
The Cleveland Browns view Sanders as a developmental prospect with upside. Andrew Berry described him as "a highly accurate pocket passer who does a good job of taking care of the ball," highlighting the strengths that could potentially help Shedeur Sanders overcome the concerns that caused his draft-day slide.