"I did not ever get any intel that the Cleveland Browns had him ranked high on their board," Russini said at the 14:45 mark of Tuesday's Scoop City podcast. "I think they saw that he was available in the fifth round, they met, they discussed it, and they went for it. They took a chance that maybe he can turn into something and be a player."

Ewers was the No. 1-ranked QB in the 2021 recruiting class. Caleb Williams was No. 2. Drake Maye was No. 4. J.J. McCarthy was No. 6. Jaxson Dart was No. 13. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, who some NFL personnel people I’ve talked to consider a potential first-rounder in 2026, was No. 19. Sanders was No. 37. Riley Leonard was No. 58.

For months, Shedeur Sanders was viewed as the face of the 2025 NFL Draft class — a potential top-10 pick with a famous father and two years of high-level production at Colorado. Even when it became clear that Cam Ward would go No.