The biggest story of the 2025 NFL Draft will almost assuredly also be the biggest story for the Cleveland Browns, for fans and for Ohio sports betting, during the offseason and possibly up until Week 1 of the regular season.
Shedeur Sanders’ precipitous fall in the NFL Draft from being an odds-on first rounder to a fifth rounder was huge because of the hype for the former Colorado quarterback and son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Adding to the drama was that the younger Sanders went to Cleveland, just two rounds after the Browns picked Dillon Gabriel, another QB.
Bookmark BetOhio.com for our Cleveland Browns betting guide and much more.
Sanders and Gabriel join what was an already crowded quarterback room in Cleveland, which is looking for a (temporary?) replacement for Deshaun Watson, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon that he suffered on Oct. 20. The Browns signed Joe Flacco, who led Cleveland on a late run to the NFL Playoffs in 2023. Cleveland also acquired Kenny Pickett, who was the backup signal-caller for the Super Bowl LIX winning Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, after adding Gabriel and Sanders to the mix, BetOhio has developed hypothetical odds projecting the Cleveland Browns’ QB1 for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season. As a reminder, these odds are for entertainment purposes only and cannot be found at any licensed Ohio sports betting operator, such as bet365 Ohio Sportsbook.
Athlete | Odds | Percent Chance |
Kenny Pickett | +100 | 50.0% |
Joe Flacco | +350 | 22.2% |
Dillon Gabriel | +450 | 18.2% |
Shedeur Sanders | +1850 | 5.1% |
Deshaun Watson | +3900 | 2.5% |
The Field | +4900 | 2.0% |
Sanders has his work cut out for him if he wants to climb to the top of the depth chart in Cleveland. It’s not impossible for him to become the starter, but he’ll need to be almost perfect through preseason camps and games to likely be considered. Even then, he may need something else to happen ahead of him.
After Cleveland drafted Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round on Saturday, some folks were wondering if he’d compare to Tom Brady – based on his late draft slot and career college accolades. Using Sports-Reference.com, we found college statistics for both quarterbacks to compare the two athletes to see if Sanders can be the next Brady.
Athlete | College Completion % | Passing Efficiency Rate | Draft Position |
Tom Brady | 61.9% | 134.9 | 6th Round, No.199 |
Shedeur Sanders | 71.8% | 160.4 | 5th Round, No. 144 |
It’s hard to really compare Brady and Sanders from their college stats since the game has changed a lot in the 25 years between the two players, and the comparisons between the two seem like apples and oranges since no one thought of Brady as a likely high draft pick.
Meanwhile, BetMGM Ohio Sportsbook listed Sanders as its favorite, with odds of +300, to be the first pick overall in the 2025 Draft right after the 2024 Draft concluded.
How did Cleveland do in the 2025 Draft? Well, it depends on who you ask.
Chad Reuter, draft analyst for NFL.com, gave the Browns a B-plus overall grade for their selections, and an A for the third day, which included Sanders.
“The Sanders pick could be the best personnel move the Browns have made in years. … The decision to end his slide could pay off in a big way,” he wrote.
However, Rob Rang of FOX Sports gave Cleveland a C-minus as he said the franchise is “either the smartest team in the NFL or, more likely, a ship without a rudder.” He pointed to selecting two quarterbacks as a reason for his grade.
While he liked the players in general that the Browns picked, he doubts “this seven-man class will help the Browns win more games in 2025.”
Operators offering real money Ohio sportsbook promotions have long odds on Cleveland to go anywhere in the 2025-26 season.
In March, ESPN BET Ohio Sportsbook had Cleveland at +20000 to win the Super Bowl in 2026. Now, those odds have shortened to +10000. However, those still rank among the highest on the board.
Also last month, DraftKings listed Cleveland at +3000 to win the AFC North. Those odds remain the same and are the highest of the four teams in the division. The Cincinnati Bengals, meanwhile, went from +190 last month to +225. That’s still the second shortest on the board behind the Baltimore Ravens, who went from -140 to -145.
The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their odds shorten from +700 to +550.
Keep track of Browns playoff chances all offseason at BetOhio.com.
USA Today photo by Tork Mason
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
Cited by leading media organizations, such as:
