NFL Draft analyst pulls Deshaun Watson’s Browns out of the running for Shedeur Sanders

Week 18 of the ongoing NFL season is in the books and Black Monday is done and dusted. This means that 18 teams who won't suit up in the playoffs can now start focusing on what their roster will look like next season and who they will pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

As is custom, QBs are expected to be some of the first players off the board with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward leading the draft class.

The Tennessee Titans have the No. 1 pick in April, followed by the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, all teams in semi-to-desperate need of a starting quarterback.

A lot could happen between now and when Tennessee are officially on the clock in late April. But as things stand, ESPN's veteran draft analyst Mel Kiper believes the Browns should steer clear of Deion Sanders' son. During an appearance on ESPN's "Unsportsmanlike Radio," Kiper outlined his train of thought:

“I don’t think Cleveland would be the play (for Shedeur Sanders). Remember, Deshaun Watson went there because they paid him a lot of money to get him to go there, which ended up being a big mistake, but at the end of the day, that’s why he ended up in Cleveland, not because that was his first choice.

"I would say the Giants would be the Shedeur spot. I think Cleveland could take Travis Hunter or go a different direction.”

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2025 NFL Mock Draft: What top five picks could potentially look like

As things stand, the top five order looks like this:

1. Tennessee Titans
2. Cleveland Browns
3. New York Giants
4. New England Patriots
5. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Titans are yet to hire a new GM to replace Ran Carthon, whom they fired on Tuesday, which means a new GM will make the first pick in April.

It's difficult to pinpoint who that will be exactly but a QB pick seems like the safe option, given the holes in Will Levis' game. Mel Kiper has Cam Ward as the No. 1 QB on his board, so let's say the Miami QB lands in Tennessee.

The Browns could go one of two ways, stick with the pick or trade back. They will have Deshaun Watson on the roster and most of the team is still built to contend. Our prediction is that the Browns will trade back with the Raiders, who desperately need a quarterback, so the pick here would be Shedeur Sanders.

That leaves the Giants to pick Travis Hunter at #3, followed by the Patriots picking Penn State's Abdul Carter and the Jaguars going with Michigan corner Will Johnson.