**Shedeur Sanders Falls to Day 3 — But Could He End Up in Detroit?**
One of the wildest twists in the 2025 NFL Draft was seeing Shedeur Sanders — the highly hyped QB out of Colorado — slide all the way to the final day. Just months earlier, he was projected to be one of the first quarterbacks off the board. A bunch of teams showed serious interest, so when he kept getting passed over, it had people wondering if he’d even get drafted at all.
Eventually, the Cleveland Browns picked him up in the fifth round. Watching it all unfold was kind of tough — Sanders just sat there, hearing name after name, but not his.
Now here’s where things get interesting: just because the Browns drafted him doesn’t mean he’s staying. The NFL is unpredictable, and the Detroit Lions could use a stronger QB room. It might sound like a long shot, but there’s a world where the Lions trade for Sanders.
**So what’s the idea?**
The Lions could send Hendon Hooker and a 2026 fifth-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for Sanders. Detroit has a stockpile of picks for 2026, so losing a fifth-rounder wouldn’t hurt too bad — especially since they’d keep their prized first- and second-round selections. And for the Browns? They already have a crowded QB room, so giving Hooker a fresh start there might work better for everyone.
Hooker could benefit from being around a developing group of quarterbacks in Cleveland, and Detroit would get a young QB they could actually mold into a long-term backup (or more).
Now, some people have raised concerns about Shedeur’s attitude, but his dad — none other than Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders — is not having it. On a recent episode of Asante Samuel’s *Say What Needs To Be Said* podcast, Deion defended his son, saying:
> “When you sit up there and say something like he went into a meeting unprepared… like, dude. Shedeur Sanders? He’s had six different offensive coordinators and kept leveling up. You’re really gonna say he had headphones on? Anybody who knows him knows he’s a pro.”
So yeah — this trade isn’t official or anything. It’s more of a bold idea floating around. But if it happens, it could end up being one of the sneakier, smarter moves of the offseason.
