Back in February, Kevin Stefanski made it clear what he wanted from his offense — and his quarterback room. “There’s a Cleveland Browns offense,” Stefanski said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “It’s never been about me.” With Stefanski returning to play-calling duties, he stressed it was about building a system to fit the players, not forcing players into his system. Fast forward to draft weekend, and that philosophy is being put to the test in a way few saw coming.

Kevin, for one, wasn’t exactly the life of the party on Day 3—and the Dawg Pound noticed. A viral clip from the Cleveland war room captured the immediate reaction to the team’s surprise fifth-round pick of Shedeur Sanders. And, well, Stefanski’s face didn’t exactly scream, ‘We just stole the draft. It was more of a polite golf clap, like someone mildly impressed by a new salad bar option.

Cleveland’s quarterback room already looked crowded before Sanders’ arrival. Kenny Pickett, hoping to reignite his career. Joe Flacco was hoping for a homecoming tour. Deshaun Watson…. Well, let’s just leave it as a $230 million mystery. Then, Dillon Gabriel, who was catching all the headlines for being the QB5 in the draft class. More importantly, the one to leapfrog Shedeur. Until the Colorado QB himself landed in Cleveland. Well, well, well.

But now, there’s a collective: what was the need? Judging by Stefanski’s and GM Andrew Berry’s stone-cold expressions, they might’ve been wondering the same thing. The footage says it all. Stefanski and Berry sit side-by-side, clapping politely but looking like someone just announced free dental checkups, not a franchise-altering pick. Fans on X instantly picked up on the vibe, and latched on to it: were the Browns truly bought into Sanders, or did this feel more like an owner-driven pick?

To be fair, Stefanski has never been a rah-rah type. His calm, measured approach helped end Cleveland’s playoff drought and restore credibility. But when your team moves up for a quarterback once mocked as a top-50 pick — and lands him at 144 — you’d expect at least a head nod of approval. Instead, the room looked like it was processing a corporate HR memo.

Maybe Stefanski’s reaction is just who he is. Maybe he’s quietly excited about getting a developmental QB without first-round pressure. But from the outside? It felt like even the Browns themselves weren’t sure if they found a future star — or just added another question mark to an already chaotic room. That’s a discussion we’d be having all offseason. For now, Shedeur doesn’t care about all that. But maybe he should because the competition’s real.

Shedeur Sanders’ place in this QB depth chart?

Well, at least, Shedeur Sanders’ not going undrafted. Phew! His reaction: “Thank you GOD.” But now, this was just Phase 1 of Shedeur’s problems. The next phase of QB competition starts… NOW!

He’s walking into a battle royale, not a coronation. Coach Kevin Stefanski made it crystal clear, saying it’s an “open competition” for all four quarterbacks during training camp. 4 because he said it after Dillon Gabriel got drafted on Day 2. But now, make that 5. No favorites. No early crowns.

However, it’s good for Shedeur in a way. To thrive in chaos after free-falling so much in the draft. And honestly, Sanders doesn’t seem rattled by any of it. Remember, during his Pro Day at Colorado, he flat-out said, “Wherever I go, it’s definitely going to be an improvement than what it was before I got there.”

But here’s the thing: while the swagger is real, the climb will be too. Sanders comes in with college stats that pop — over 14,000 yards, 134 touchdowns, 70% completion — but also with baggage. His 94 sacks over two seasons at Colorado are the kind of thing that’ll give offensive line coaches nightmares.

General Manager Andrew Berry wasn’t playing coy about the move either. “It’s less about where you get picked and what you do after you get picked,” he said. Translation? Don’t expect handouts. Sanders was a fifth-round steal on paper, but he’s still got to punch his ticket on the field. And if the Dawg Pound is wondering — yes, the Browns did their homework. Berry called Sanders “an impressive young man” and “a really good quarterback” after the pick. The love is there. But so are the expectations.

Bottom line? Sanders is in a deep, messy quarterback stew. The upside? It’s Cleveland. Chaos is practically part of the uniform. Now, if Sanders wants to turn this wild fifth-round ride into a starter story, he’s going to have to win it the hard way.