The Cleveland Browns made one of the most highly-publicized Day 3 picks in NFL Draft history when they selected Shedeur Sanders with the No.144 pick in the 2025 draft.
Before the draft, Sanders was a projected Day 1 pick who was expected to be a starter in his rookie campaign. However, he fell all the way to the fifth round and joined a crowded Cleveland quarterback room with veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, as well as fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
If Sanders is unable to move up in the Browns’ depth chart and earn significant playing time, the team could look to trade him and get some value back. Heavy Sports’ Anne Erickson proposes a trade that would send Sanders to the Detroit Lions for quarterback Hendon Hooker and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
“The pitch is that the Lions get Sanders, and the Browns get Hooker and a 2026 fifth-round pick. The Lions have a plethora of picks lined up for 2026, so losing a fifth-round shouldn’t hurt too much. They would still have their coveted first and second round picks. Plus, the Browns have a huge quarterback room, so it would be a better fit for Hooker, who seems to need more time to develop,” Erickson wrote.
This is an intriguing trade for both teams. The Lions are set to hold a competition for the No.2 quarterback spot between Hooker and Kyle Allen, but Sanders is arguably better than both. Pairing Hooker with a Day 3 pick to acquire Sanders, who has the potential to be Jared Goff’s successor, would be a savvy move by Detroit.
For the Browns, trading Sanders for Hooker would be a bit questionable, as there’s no denying that the Colorado product has a higher ceiling than the current Lions backup quarterback. However, adding another fifth-round pick in the 2026 draft to assist in the rebuild would be valuable, though keeping Sanders could be more worth it.
Overall, swapping young quarterbacks just doesn’t make enough sense for this deal to come to fruition. However, seeing Sanders develop behind Goff in Detroit would be incredibly interesting to watch.
