Kevin Stefanski to Ignore Shedeur Sanders for Texas Bowl MVP as Colorado QB Predicted Put 257-TD Veteran Out of Job

The NFL draft is just around the corner, and the rumor mill is churning faster than a Dawg Pound tailgate party. Especially for Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns. One day, they’re all-in on a quarterback; the next, they’re eyeing a defensive powerhouse. Analysts are split—some swear Cleveland’s set on snagging a signal-caller, while others bet their morning coffee on a defensive pick.

But as the draft is just a couple of weeks away, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is back to expand his NFL mock draft. While talking about the Browns, Kiper predicted that Cleveland is going to ditch a QB with their No. 2 overall pick and going to draft Colorado’s Travis Hunter. That’s something worth noting, considering the Browns are in dire need of a franchise QB.

And that’s where his latest prediction comes in. See, with Deshaun Watson out with a re-torn Achilles, Kenny Pickett is the only quarterback on the Browns’ roster. That said, there’s still no confirmation whether the Browns are looking to trade for a veteran QB. And here’s the kicker—Kiper believes that the Browns could draft the Texas Bowl MVP, Tyler Shough, in the second round. The reason?

“Shough has the arm strength to drive the ball in Cleveland weather, and he looks the part at 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds,” he predicted in his latest mock-draft on Tuesday. After playing for the Oregon Ducks and Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-3 years), Shough transferred to Louisville University to play for the Louisville Cardinals.

The guy’s finally heading to the NFL Draft after ballin’ out in the best season of his 7-year college rollercoaster. Shough lit it up in 2024—3,195 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, just 6 picks. And get this, the man’s tossed 951 passes across 43 games. That’s a whole lotta reps. So yeah, Pickett better not get too comfy. The twist?

Well, for starters, it’s his age. Shough will turn 26 by the end of week 4 of the next season. To pour gasoline on fire, his injury concerns are a total nightmare for the 25-year-old QB. Sure, his experience and a rocket of an arm are showing QB1 traits, but staying healthy? That’s the messy part. Because let’s be real—Shough’s collegiate career felt like a Netflix drama—just when things start heating up, boom, plot twist!

First, he broke his collarbone in 2021, then re-aggravated it in 2022. And just when you think that’s behind him, 2023 rolls around and—yep, you guessed it—he snaps his fibula in the first quarter. The guy’s battled more comebacks than Rocky. All in all, whether the Browns are interested in him or not, the NFL scouts are not going to ignore his injury issues.

Now’s the interesting part. Kiper earlier predicted that Cleveland could draft Travis Hunter with their No. 2 overall pick. That means Shedeur Sanders is probably off the list of Kevin Stefanski. So who’s going to draft him now?

Shedeur Sanders could replace Derek Carr

At this point, Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock is moonwalking—and not in that smooth MJ way he’d want on his highlight reel. Just a few weeks back, the guy was flirting with top-two pick buzz. Fast forward, and he’s sliding down faster than a TikTok dance craze no one does anymore. Now? ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him landing with the Saints at No. 9 overall. Wild, right?

“If Sanders doesn’t go to the Giants, there aren’t many clear landing spots for him in the top 10 … and he could slide. I could see a team trading up for him—maybe even the Saints, who have nine picks—but most of these rosters are already set at quarterback. This is a great outcome for New Orleans, though. I like this match a lot,” Kiper wrote.

Let’s call it what it is. Almost a month after the free agency kicked off, the number of QB-needy teams certainly declined. The Titans are sitting at the top, and they surely have their sight on Cam Ward with their No. 1 overall. The Browns are probably going to draft Travis Hunter, as per Kiper. The Giants (No. 3 overall) were projected to draft Sanders, but they probably aren’t interested in him anymore. The reason?

Well, they already signed Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. To make it more obvious, Brian Daboll reportedly missed out on Sanders’ Pro Day. That said, the Raiders and the Jets have already signed Geno Smith and Justin Fields, respectively. There you go. No wonder Kiper believes that the Saints might draft the Buffaloes’ QB. The catch? It’s the Saints’ current QB1—Derek Carr.

Carr is set to enter the third year of his four-year contract after a couple of underwhelming seasons with the Saints. In his first year with the Saints, he dropped 3,878 yards and 25 touchdowns—not too shabby, but it still wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs with that 9-8 finish. Year two? Total rollercoaster. The guy played just 10 games thanks to an oblique injury, racked up 2,145 yards, and wrapped the season with a meh 5-5 record. The kicker?

Well, Kiper believes that Sanders is a top-rated QB, considering the guy finished 74% of his throws last season despite being under constant pressure. However, with Carr still on the roster for at least one season, Kiper suggests that Sanders could learn behind him before taking over. That said, it’s still uncertain whether Sanders’ going to start in 2025 or not, but one thing’s for sure. There are still many plot twists remaining before the draft kicks off.