CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns waiting until the 5th round to draft QB Sedeur Sanders after they drafted QB Dillion Gabriel in the 3rd, and the facial expression of general manager Andrew Berry when Sanders’ was selected, had many wondering if it was really owner Jimmy Haslam who made the call.
Could have been Haslam’s choice. Maybe it was another homeless man he met on the street, like the one who told him to draft Johnny Manziel in 2014. Or maybe it was Johnny Manziel himself.
Sal Palantonio of ESPN had been embedded in the Browns draft room in 2014 and quoted Browns owner Jimmy Haslam telling him about his encounter with a homeless man.
“Here in Cleveland, everywhere I go, people know me. And I was out to dinner recently. And a homeless person was out on the street, looked up at me and said, ‘Draft Manziel.’ Just like that.”
And just like that, the Browns moved up from spot No. 26 to No. 22 and drafted Manziel, who had slid down, but not nearly as great a slide as Sanders. He had been projected to be a top pick, no later than 1st round, but went to the Browns in the 5th round.
Sanders, the QB from the University of Colorado and Jackson State is the son of NFL Hall of Fame legend Dion Sanders, who also played in Major League Baseball.
Dion Sanders spent his ‘prime years in the NFL playing defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. He also spent seasons playing for the San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens.
In MLB, Dion Sanders was an outfielder for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.
After retiring, Dion Sanders became a sports broadcaster, then college football coach, working his way up to become the head coach for Jackson State, then U. of Colorado.
The Browns pick that surprised me the most was Oregon QB Dillion Gabriel in the 3rd round ahead of Sanders. More because it was made in the 3rd round. That was an ‘overdraft.’
Dillion is undersized at 5′11″ especially compared to the Browns most likely starting QB, Super Bowl winning veteran Joe Flacco, 6′6″. Largely because of that, Gabriel wasn’t expected to be drafted until the later rounds.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe had been drafted two spots ahead of Dillion. Did that rush the Browns QB pick?
Problem with taking Gabriel with that 3rd round pick ment Browns passing on a better rated DB/Safety they needed more or an offensive lineman they also could have used.
Though I found myself more in sync with former Browns QB coach Brian Daboll who drafted Jaxson Dart for the Giants, and former Super Bowl winning coach Jon Gruden, who also liked Dart, still think Sanders is a smart pick for the Browns, that deserved to have been made sooner.
Sanders has already gotten off to a great start in Cleveland with his surprise visit to John Marshall high school where he spoke to the students.
“I’m trying to bring Cleveland a Super Bowl. Not just on the field, but off the field as well. I want to bring more hope and positivity to the city, and connecting with young people is one of the best ways to do that”
“I’m definitely going to be able to show up with actions. And you’ll understand I’ll be more involved in, you know, the community and really leading the kids in the right direction. Thats’ the main thing. Whatever situation they’re in, that’s really where I feel like I have the most impact on, is really the kids and giving them a different perspective of respecting parents, respect their elders and respect those people that are in position to give you advice. So that’s where you’ll see the most impact there,” said Sanders.