Just when it seemed that he could legitimately go undrafted, the Cleveland Browns traded up to get Shedeur Sanders with the No. 144 pick.
However, they were pretty close to missing out on him.
According to a report by ESPN insider Adam Schefter, his camp had to tell the Baltimore Ravens not to take him:
> “The Baltimore Ravens were planning to draft Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round with the No. 141 overall pick, league sources told ESPN. But before the Ravens could turn in the card, the former Colorado star let it be known to Baltimore that he didn’t want to be on a roster with Lamar Jackson, where he wouldn’t have a chance to play anytime soon, according to league sources. Sanders knew that Jackson, a two-time MVP and one of the top players in the league, was not going to be losing his job as Baltimore’s starting quarterback anytime soon,” Schefter [wrote](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46245106/ravens-planned-take-shedeur-sanders-draft-sources-say).
Of course, that makes perfect sense from Sanders’ perspective.
While he would’ve benefited from learning from one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Lamar Jackson, he knew he wasn’t going to take his job.
The path toward getting on the field seemed much easier in Cleveland.
Ironically, Sanders has always been last in the pecking order in Cleveland as well, and it seems like that’s just not going to change any time soon.
He’s currently running the scout team and is their third-string/emergency quarterback, and it might take a lot for that to change, if ever.
The fact that the Ravens almost took him in the fifth round also speaks volumes about the way he was truly perceived around the league.
Clearly, every single team in the league didn’t have him as highly graded as some fans and former players.
[NEXT: Ex-Scout Puts Shedeur Sanders Trade Speculation To Rest](https://www.brownsnation.com/ex-scout-puts-shedeur-sanders-trade-speculation-to-rest/)