It was one of the biggest stories leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, which increased exponentially throughout the three-day event, enclosing Chedure Sanders and when to be chosen. We finally got the answer on Saturday afternoon, when the Cleveland Browns traded up to get Prolific College quarterback after four rounds, a selection of 143 and five quarterbacks left the board With the 144th overall pick In round 5.
We know where Sanders was chosen and which team drafted him, but what’s next after the previous Colorado Star, Sanders, other Browns quarterbacks and the general quarterback situation? To find the answer, we experienced each signal power attached to our team and what their future would look like.
Along with Sanders, the Browns also have fellow quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel. Cleveland still has Desshaun Watson, but the former Pro Bowler’s 2025 season is at risk after reissuing Achilles in January.
Watson has been signed throughout the 2026 season, but he is unlikely to be re-signed. The Browns have two first round picks in next year’s draft, so if they choose to do so, they’ll be in the ideal position to choose their quarterback early.
Kenny Pickett
In theory, when the 2025 regular season begins, Pickett has the perfect shot to be the Browns starter. He is still young (26), has 25 career start experience under his belt (starting 15-10 with a 13-4 record in his final 17 start, where he plays the majority of the game, and is already beginning to learn the Browns playbook. Pickett. It was already starting to work With Pro Bowl wideout Jerry Judy before Cleveland trades for him.
Pickett is the most logical choice, but the Browns can go in a different direction just for their sole purpose of saving the face. If Cleveland went that route, picket is probably the most logical trade option.
The Browns would be skewed if they traded either Gabriel or Sanders, so the chances of that happening are small for anyone. After all, Gabriel would have been his third pick and could have used that pick instead to deepen his receiver squad. Trading Gabriel would draw a mountain of criticism unless the Browns get something substantial in return.
Former round pick, Pickett has had the best and worst luck at the same time since being drafted in 2022. While winning the Super Bowl while playing for the childhood team (Eagles) last season, Pickett didn’t last long on his first NFL team (Stealers).
There is still a chance that Pickett will become the Browns’ QB1 this season. However, Gabriel and Sanders’ Cleveland draft selections have made that scenario less likely.
Joe Fraco
Unlike Pickett, the Browns’ selection of Gabriel and Sanders increased the odds of Flaco being Cleveland’s starting quarterback.
At 40, there is little chance that the Browns will be able to replace their flaco. He helped lead him into the playoffs after trading Watson, who was injured late in the season two years ago. That experience likely has been forced to re-sign Flacco this offseason with the Browns, which is why they look to him to lead the offense again.
If he scores another shot by leading the Browns offense, the best-case scenario is that Flacco plays well and leads Cleveland into a nice season that may or may not end in the playoff berth. At worst, the Flacco and Browns struggle will put Cleveland in top position in 2026 to choose a top-ranked quarterback (predicted at this point as Texas QB Arch Manning).
PRISCO’s NFL Draft 2025 Grades of each team will win one of the three ‘a’ marks: the best and worst picks
Pete Prisco
Dillon Gabriel
Gabriel and Pickett should not put four quarterbacks on the roster as the regular season begins. Gabriel’s status as a third round pick should give him more security. Pickett was acquired from Philadelphia before this offseason in exchange for former Browns backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 five-round pick.
Gabriel’s most likely scenario is that he is competing against the Browns’ major backup quarterback behind Flacco or Pickett. That should lead to a compelling position with Sanders.
If Gabriel plays well in the preseason and the team makes the Browns a reasonable offer to him, then Gabriel could be traded. But what is reasonable? Given the fact that he is a three-round pick, the team will have to give up a fair amount of money for a rookie quarterback, which is probably considered a project. That’s about the same as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones employs a general manager.
Chedur Sanders
Sanders clearly has the most advantages as far as how 2025 will look to him in Cleveland. In the worst case scenario, Sanders doesn’t make a roster of 53 and is sent to the practice team. Not so bad: He spends the season as a string quarterback three times, learning the perfect professional ropes that he enjoyed a long and fruitful career in the NFL. But the best case rises to Sanders starting quarterback either in week one or after.
Most quarterbacks selected in the fifth round are not seen as day 1 starters, but Sanders isn’t the usual fifth quarterback. He is undoubtedly the most famous player in this year’s draft, and was initially expected to be a top five pick. And there’s still the belief that his meteor could start as a rookie despite his fall into the fifth round.
If that’s going on, Sanders needs to hurry and make some improvements, especially when it comes to his footwork and performance under obsession. There is also the usual rookie challenge of learning the playbook and adjusting to the speed of the NFL game.
Sanders will come to Cleveland in hopes of him spending a year as a backup, but that can certainly change once some variables come true, both in and out of his control. It will be very interesting to see how this works.
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Jeff Kerr
Desshaun Watson
As mentioned above, the Browns probably won’t re-sign Watson when his current deal expires. Also, if his Achilles injury stands on the sidelines for the entire 2025 season, Watson already has a very strong chance of playing his finals in Cleveland.
Even if Watson recovers in time to play this season, it’s very likely that the Browns will decide to keep him on the shelf as they finish the season at the starting quarterback at that point. There are no scenarios where it makes sense to start a quarterback who hasn’t played in over a year, especially those that have barely succeeded in recent years.
The big question is what the Browns will do with Watson in 2026. Between the developments this season and the 2026 NFL Draft, we’ll probably be able to answer. At this point, the two most likely scenarios are that Watson acts as a bridge quarterback or as a backup for his successor.
Watson remains on his current contract for two years. Cleveland may not release him this year, as he will have a $173 million dead cap fee per ESPN. But if he decides to cut him after the 2025 season, that number will shrink to $53 million. It’s a much smaller number, but it’s still a lot of money to give up. So Watson will likely be on the Cleveland roster in 2026.
