The NFL “silly” season is well underway, and with it, many rumors of what teams will draft, trade and sign have been swirling. For the Cleveland Browns, that means deciding what to do with the second overall pick in the NFL draft. For fans, that means speculating ad nauseam as to what their beloved Browns will do. Browns fans are divided on whether the team should prioritize a quarterback, with prospects like Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, or take the best player available, considering talents like Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter. Today I am firmly planting my flag in the thought process of selecting a quarterback, specifically Shedeur Sanders, due to his terrific fit with the Cleveland Browns.

Sanders has all the intangibles you look for in a quarterback. A deep understanding of the game, leadership, and a competitive nature. Sanders who has been training his entire life to be an NFL quarterback has an elite ability to read the field and make decisions, something Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski would love as he is the type of coach to want to limit turnovers as opposed to taking risks. Furthermore, Sanders boasted a 74.2% completion percentage and a 168.8 in pass efficiency. Sanders is an efficient quarterback who is a perfect match for the calculated two-time coach of the year, Kevin Stefanski. Sanders is the type of calculated passer who is a perfect match for how the Browns like to run an offense.

While Sanders is an intriguing prospect, he does have weaknesses. His main weakness is his deep ball, or lack thereof. Sanders is not a great deep ball thrower, something that may be expected of him in his NFL career. When it comes to the Browns, this is less of a concern for me, since similar quarterbacks to Sanders have thrived in Stefanski’s system. Think Jacoby Brissett and Kirk Cousins with the Vikings, these are two players who have had some of their best seasons when running Stefanski’s offense, with similar skill sets to Sanders.

I ultimately think the Browns want Sanders despite his flaws. multiple local media figures have hinted towards the Browns’ interest in the Colorado quarterback, including Mary Kay Cabot, which could be a sign of what the organization is thinking.”Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski are on the hot seat, and drafting a quarterback could have a far greater impact on the Browns’ success than selecting an EDGE rusher or cornerback. Even if they land a star like Carter or Hunter, the team might still struggle, leading to Berry and Stefanski’s dismissal. But if Sanders pans out, the Browns could win more games, potentially saving their jobs. Lastly, if you are worried about Shedeur’s father, hall-of-fame star Deion, don’t be. Deion is the head coach of a Power-four school and has an entire football team to worry about, while Deion will most likely be around, thinking he will be a distraction is buying into a narrative that is simply not true about the Sanders family,

Sanders is a well-put-together, field general-esque prospect that would fit into the Brown like a glove in Kevin Stefanski’s system. Not to mention, his leadership qualities are something this Browns’ locker room desperately needs, after all of the Deshaun Watson and Myles Garrett trade request drama. If the Browns are not to select Shedeur at two, they should do everything in their power to try and still acquire him, because he could be the answer to a lot of Cleveland’s problems.