The Super Bowl confetti has barely settled down but now, the NFL Draft rumor mill is in overdrive. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are widely considered the two top QBs in the 2025 draft. But Joel Klatt saw it early on — Shedeur is the clear No. 1 pick. And now, amid a franchise shakeup, the $5.1B Cleveland Browns are about to put their No. 2 overall pick to good use by setting their sights on this weapon that their GM is high on.  

Reports indicate that Shedeur Sanders is officially QB1 on Cleveland’s draft board. The Browns wasted no time setting up their top-30 visit with the Colorado star. On February 14, NFL Rookie Watch dropped a report on X stating, “Shedeur Sanders is reportedly the ‘QB1’ on the Cleveland Browns board as of now. The Browns were reportedly the first team to schedule a meeting with Sanders and they will be the first team he meets with.” 

Shedeur Sanders confirmed this news in a behind-the-scenes clip from Colorado’s weight room that his first stop on the pre-draft circuit will be Cleveland. “Browns,” he revealed. “I have the Browns, then the Giants. That’s the only two right now.” The 23-year-old met with the three teams with the top 3 picks — Tennessee Titans, Browns, and New York Giants — at the East-West Shrine Bowl and it was there that the Browns’ GM Andrew Barry endorsed his admiration for Shedeur saying, “Shedeur is a really impressive young man. He’s poised, he’s calm, he’s smart and you can tell that he’s been raised by – quite honestly – a Hall of Fame dad.” 

Andrew Barry also believes Shedeur has the talent to thrive in Cleveland’s system. The Browns already have a talented group of pass catchers like Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore. They also have TE David Njoku, along with RB Nick Chubb to aid Sanders’ production. But it’s the $125M setback delivered by All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett that has propelled their need to acquire top talents. Garrett reportedly requested a trade after his frustration with the direction the Browns are taking. He’s under a five-year, $125 million contract signed in 2020. The Browns’ pursuit is aligning with Klatt’s take on Shedeur. 

Joel Klatt thinks Shedeur is QB1

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is adamant that Shedeur Sanders is the best QB in the 2025 draft class. “Shedeur has the beautiful combination of the ability to be a prototypical passer from the pocket,” Klatt said on his show. “And he’s got the precise ability to be a surgeon in those cases, and he also has the ability to be an artist, and that combination doesn’t come around a lot. His ability to create outside of the pocket, and extend the play, is Fran Tarkenton-esque. He’s excellent in those situations.” He also mentioned how Shedeur thrived in both seasons at Colorado despite a weak offensive line unit. 

“If you give him some time in the pocket, which Colorado did not generally with that offensive line,” Klatt continued. “If he has time and he can diagnose what’s going on, he can be surgical in the pocket. I believe that he has a chance to be much better in the NFL than he was even at Colorado.” Behind a woeful O-line, Shedeur still thrived and posted career highs in yards and completion percentage. His improved decision-making and field vision transformed a 4-8 program into a 9-4 team this past season. 

The Browns will get a chance to talk to Shedeur Sanders at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis beginning on February 25. QB media will take place on February 38 before the on-field workouts kick off on March 1. After all this, Cleveland will land a visit from this highly-touted NFL prospect, potentially setting the stage for a promising future.