Former Colorado Buffaloes star quarterback and current Cleveland Brown Shedeur Sanders was nearly headed to Baltimore on draft day, but he had other plans.
According to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, which came out Sunday morning, the Baltimore Ravens were preparing to select Sanders in the fifth round with the No. 141 overall pick. However, according to Schefter, Sanders made it clear he did not want to sit behind Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP with a firm grasp on the starting job. The Ravens’ front office subsequently passed on Sanders, instead selecting offensive lineman Carson Vinson.
Three picks later, the Cleveland Browns traded up to take Sanders at No. 144, giving the former Buff a landing spot where a more straightforward path to playing time existed.
Sanders entered Cleveland’s Week 2 game against the Ravens of all teams listed as the Browns’ No. 3 quarterback behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillion Gabriel. He made the initial 53-man roster after the Browns traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sanders had a strong preseason debut before an oblique injury sidelined him for a week. He struggled mightily in the final preseason game, taking five sacks. While it appears unlikely that Sanders sees the field this year, the Browns hope he can continue to develop throughout the season.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Shedeur Sanders prevented Baltimore Ravens from drafting him
