The Browns’ plan for Shedeur Sanders at quarterback: Here’s Cleveland’s QB depth chart

Just one day after drafting Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Cleveland Browns traded up to take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. They now have five quarterbacks on the depth chart.

Cleveland Browns QB depth chart:

1. Deshaun Watson
2. Joe Flacco
3. Kenny Pickett
4. Dillon Gabriel
5. Shedeur Sanders

With that in mind, what’s the Browns’ plan for Sanders?

Quantity over quality - Browns hoping for QB competition

The Browns weren’t planning to select two quarterbacks in the draft this week. They selected Gabriel in the third round, not expecting Sanders to fall all the way to the fifth. When he did, they took the opportunity to trade up with the Seattle Seahawks and take him.

Watson is the Browns’ current starting quarterback, but his Achilles injury could see him sit out the entire season, if not the majority of it. Following the injury, the Browns acquired Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles and signed Flacco ahead of the draft.

With four quarterbacks in the mix behind Watson, only one starting job, and a few likely to not even make the final roster, there will be some exciting competition in Cleveland this summer.

“We love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with guys that are already in there,” said Browns GM Andrew Berry. “We felt like that was the appropriate thing to do.”

Berry said the team spent significant time with Sanders during the draft process and believe that he’s a highly productive and accurate player. Sanders played under his father Deion Sanders for Jackson State and later Colorado, finishing the 2024 season as the FBS leader in completion percentage (74%), throwing 37 touchdowns, and earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award honors. Now, he’ll be competing with several others for a shot on the final Browns roster, and maybe even the starting job.

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