The Browns had seven picks in the 2025 draft and used two on running backs — Quinshon Judkins (No. 36 overall), Dylan Sampson (No. 126 overall) — and two others on quarterbacks — Dillon Gabriel (No. 94 overall), Shedeur Sanders (No. 144 overall).

The story of the 2025 NFL Draft had to do with a player selected in the fifth round, as Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders fell all the way to the Cleveland Browns with the No. 144 overall pick after being projected as a first-round selection.

But Shedeur Sanders was not the usual 144th pick and his situation transcended football. The narrative around Sanders blurred lines between sports, race and culture. The former University of Colorado quarterback was the center of a three-day spectacle of cringe that will live in football lore for a long time.