Why did Browns draft Shedeur Sanders after taking Dillon Gabriel? Exploring reasons for Andrew Berry's move

The fall of Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 draft finally ended in the fifth round. The Cleveland Browns traded up with the Philadelphia Eagles to select the quarterback at the 144th overall pick, making this the second quarterback the Browns have taken in this class.

The selection of Sanders puts an end to the biggest storyline of this year's draft. The Colorado quarterback went from a likely first-round pick to waiting until Saturday to hear his name called. His NFL career is already off to a rocky start, and the fact that Cleveland selected a quarterback before in the draft is also an interesting topic.

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Potential reasons on why Browns drafted both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders

The quarterback situation for Cleveland is one of the most bizarre in the NFL. The Browns currently have five quarterbacks on the roster, and four of them joined the franchise this offseason.

Andrew Berry's team is tied to the gigantic mistake of Deshaun Watson's contract. The veteran quarterback is set to occupy a large portion of the cap while injured in 2025, hurting the team's chances. During free agency, the Browns also traded for Kenny Pickett and signed Joe Flacco.

Drafting both Gabriel and Sanders is a curious strategy, but one that comes with a low risk. Cleveland already made good moves during the draft, earning an extra first-round pick in 2026, while adding good players such as Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger and Quinshon Judkins.

Gabriel's pick is more questionable. The Oregon quarterback was arguably one of the biggest reaches of Day 2; Sanders, on the other hand, is a mega steal in the fifth round.

As much as his fall creates a distraction, he represents fantastic value on Day 3. Picking two quarterbacks in late rounds is nothing more than flyers: if neither of them works out, Cleveland won't lose much.

Which quarterbacks were taken before Shedeur Sanders?

Sanders was officially the sixth quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Round 1, pick 1: Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Round 1, pick 25: Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Round 2, pick 8: Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Round 3, pick 28: Jalen Milroe, Seatle Seahawks
Round 3, pick 30: Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
Round 5, pick 6: Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

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Edited by Henrique Bulio