You would be hard-pressed to find a rookie under more of a microscope than Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, which is wild considering he was a fifth-round draft pick.
Of course, most anticipated that Sanders would come off the board on Day 1 or be a second-round selection, at worst, but things certainly took an eventful turn during the NFL Draft.
Nevertheless, Sanders is now in Cleveland for rookie minicamp and will be competing for the Browns' starting quarterback job in 2025, and more importantly, he is attempting to make a grand impression for the future.
The Colorado Buffaloes product is certainly facing a whole lot of pressure entering his debut campaign, but Sanders doesn't seem to be worried about that.
“My job here isn’t to prove people wrong. I prove myself right,” Sanders told reporters. “What those people say, that’s just their opinion. I don’t truly care. They don’t really live in my mental space about that type of stuff. It really doesn’t do anything for me.”
That's certainly the right mindset to have, especially considering that Sanders was widely criticized for his apparent nonchalant attitude during pre-draft interviews.
Chances are, the 23-year-old will not be under center for the Browns come Week 1, as Joe Flacco seems to be the favorite to win Cleveland's starting signal-caller job from the outset. However, there is definitely a chance that Sanders could ultimately step into that role at some point next season.
The Tyler, Tx. native tossed 37 touchdown passes while completing 74 percent of his passes during his final collegiate campaign.
