Shedeur Sanders has been on a roller coaster. One win, one loss, and a possible Deshaun Watson return puts him in the center of all QB drama in Cleveland. However, Emmanuel Acho, former Philadelphia Eagles Linebacker and current analyst thinks he knows the answer to the debate.

“If Shedeur is who we think he is, the Browns drafted a generationally changing draft class. Harold Fannin is nice. Isaiah Bond is nice. Quinshon Junkins is nice. Shador Sanders, if we believe in a B, he's nice."

He's not wrong. Fannin Jr. has been incredible. 505 receiving yards with 3 touchdowns. And it's similar for Judkins. His 758 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns are impressive, not to forget his rampaging game against the Dolphins. And while Isaiah Bond hasn't got a receiving touchdown, he has managed 199 receiving yards so far. All of them are rookies with massive potential. That's where Acho thinks Shedeur Sanders comes in.

"Please understand, if Shedeur materializes into the player that we all know he's capable of being, the Browns change, hopefully, the trajectory of that franchise, and that, to me, is everything,” he said. 

Acho does have a point. The Browns have struggled with the QB position for a while. And while three games in the NFL are too early to decide if or not Shedeur is a franchise QB, but his college records do show that there is no lack of talent in his arms.

He set single-season records at Colorado with 4,134 yards, 74.0% completions, 37 TDs, and 353 completions. And that's not all. He also earned major honors, including the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and multiple All-Conference selections.

This talent, when paired with the other rookies in the team, can surely lay a great future for the Browns. Perhaps it can help the Browns avoid a mistake they made in the past.

Shedeur Sanders and Co. are somewhat on the same path as Baker Mayfield and Co. 

In 2017, the Browns went 0–16, becoming one of the few NFL franchises to ever lose every regular-season game. Then next year, they brought in a group of rookies like Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, and Denzel Ward that gave one of their best seasons ever.

Mayfield showed great potential when he broke the NFL single-season rookie passing touchdown record, throwing 27 TD passes with 3,725 yards. Chubb had 192 carries for 996 yards and scored 8 touchdowns.

In 2021, Mayfield faced a difficult injury, and ultimately, instead of building around Mayfield and the young core, the Browns traded substantial draft capital to acquire Deshaun Watson. Shedeur Sanders and Co. are showing a similar promise, but the team must invest in them. 

What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments. 

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar