Shedeur Sanders' draft slide leads to a rare QB double dip by the Browns

Shedeur Sanders' slide down the NFL draft was the dominant story of the weekend with one of college football's most high-profile players lasting until the fifth round.

The fact Sanders was taken by the Browns two rounds after they drafted another quarterback in Dillon Gabriel made the entire situation even more rare.

The Browns were the first team to draft two quarterbacks in the first five rounds of the NFL draft since Washington did it in 2012, when the team traded up to take Robert Griffin III with the second-overall pick and then drafted Kirk Cousins in the fourth round.

There are only a handful of other times in the common draft era beginning in 1967 that a team picked two quarterbacks that high in the draft.

Green Bay drafted Anthony Dilweg in the third round and Jeff Graham in the fourth in 1989. The Packers traded Graham to Washington later in the draft and he never played a game in the NFL despite spending time with several teams. Dilweg started seven games in 1990.

The Colts double-dipped at quarterback in 1982, taking Art Schlichter fourth overall and Mike Pagel in the fourth round. Schlichter played only 13 games because of gambling problems, while Pagel had a long career, mostly as a backup.

The Houston Oilers also did it in 1971, taking Dan Pastorini in the first round and Lynn Dickey in the third. Both had long careers as starters in the NFL.

There were two other times it happened but one of those QBs quickly shifted positions to receiver once joining the NFL.

The Jets took Kellen Clemens in the second round and Brad Smith in the fourth in 2006. Clemens spent 12 seasons in the NFL, mostly as a backup, while Smith had a successful career as a receiver, returner and occasional wildcat quarterback.

The Raiders took quarterbacks with their first two picks in 1968 but first-rounder Eldrige Dickey moved to receiver following his first training camp and had only five catches in his career. Second-rounder Ken Stabler went on to become the 1974 AP NFL MVP and had a Hall of Fame career as a quarterback.

Trading up for a top-two pick in the NFL draft isn't that uncommon with it happening five times in the last 13 drafts before this season. Doing it for a non-quarterback was rare.

The deal made by Jacksonville with Cleveland to move up from No. 5 to No. 2 to take Travis Hunter marked the first time since 1997 that a team traded up that high to draft a non-quarterback.

It happened twice in 1997, with the Raiders trading up to No. 2 that year before the Rams jumped them two weeks later to trade for the No. 1 pick. The Rams took Hall of Famer Orlando Pace and the Raiders drafted Darrell Russell.

There hadn't been a receiver taken in the top two since Calvin Johnson went second to Detroit in 2007 and no defensive back had been taken that high since safety Eric Turner went second to Cleveland in 1991.

There were 12 other instances in the common draft era starting in 1967 when a team traded up for a top-two pick and drafted a non-quarterback.

Pace was one of four Hall of Famers acquired that way with the other three all being running backs: Eric Dickerson (1983), Earl Campbell (1978) and Tony Dorsett (1977).

Some of the other trades weren't as successful, like Cincinnati moving up to take running back Ki-Jana Carter first in 1995, the Jets trading up for receiver Lam Jones in 1980 and the Vikings moving up for running back Clint Jones in 1967.

With the SEC setting a record with 79 players drafted and Ohio State having 14 of the 71 draft picks in the Big Ten, the two most prominent college football conferences dominated draft weekend.

Thanks to the first year of expansion that sent Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, along with USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten, those conferences accounted for 58% of all draft picks.

Throw in the 42 picks for the ACC and 31 for the Big 12 and the four power conferences had nearly 87% of all draft picks this year, along with six more from Notre Dame.

The Group of Five had just 18 players drafted as many players who began their careers at that level have moved up to power conferences. There were only eight players chosen from non-FBS teams.

There were players who finished their college careers at 86 schools that got drafted, with the defending champion Buckeyes leading the way with 14 — one off of the record since the start of the seven-round draft era in 1994 set by Georgia in 2022.

The Bulldogs were next with 13, followed Texas with 12, Oregon with 10 and Ole Miss with eight. Five schools had seven players drafted: Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami and Michigan.

This marked the 87th straight draft with a player from Michigan being taken. USC also has had a player taken in every draft since 1939, tying the Wolverines for the longest active streak.

There was an even split of offensive and defensive players picked in the draft with 126 players from each side of the ball picked — not including the two-way player Hunter.

The other four players taken were specialists, including a rare long snapper drafted with Julian Ashby getting taken by New England with the 252nd pick.

The defensive line led the way with 58 players taken, according to Sportradar, followed by 47 exclusive defensive backs and 41 offensive linemen. There were 30 receivers drafted in addition to Hunter, along with 25 running backs, 21 linebackers, 16 tight ends and 14 QBs.

This marked just the fourth time in the common draft era that two tight ends were taken in they top 15, with Chicago taking Colston Loveland 10th and Indianapolis choosing Tyler Warren 14th.

It also happened in 1992 (Derek Brown and Johnny Mitchell), 1973 (Charlie Young and Paul Seymour) and 1972 (Riley Odoms and Jerome Barkum).

Inside the Numbers dives into NFL statistics, streaks and trends each week. For more Inside the Numbers, head here.

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Tight end Colston Loveland, the Chicago Bears' first round draft pick, 10th overall, speaks during an NFL football press conference, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Lake Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, the Detroit Lions first round pick, 28th overall, in the NFL football draft, speaks during a news conference in Allen Park, Mich., Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Two-way player Travis Hunter, the Jacksonville Jaguars first round draft pick, second overall, strikes a Heisman pose while holding a jersey during an NFL football press conference, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Two-way player Travis Hunter, the Jacksonville Jaguars first round draft pick, second overall, laughs with reporters during an NFL football press conference, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

FILE - Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders takes part in passing drills during Colorado's NFL football pro day Friday, April 4, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

A screen shows Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders after being chosen by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick during the third day of the NFL football draft, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

FILE - Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders speaks during a press conference at the NFL football scouting combine Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump set out on a three-nation visit to the Middle East on Monday, a trip he had originally intended to use to focus on his efforts to press wealthy Gulf nations to pour billions in new investment into the United States.

But now Trump finds himself navigating a series of geopolitical crises — and searching for glimmers of hope in the deep well of global turmoil — that are casting greater import on the first extended overseas trip of his second term.

“This world is a lot safer today than it was a week ago,” Trump crowed to reporters as he sized up the foreign policy challenges he's facing as he heads to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “And a lot safer than it was six months ago.”

The president was brimming with an overabundance of confidence about some of the world’s most intractable problems, from tensions in South Asia to the future of sanctions in Syria to the war in Ukraine.

But behind closed doors, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani, and Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed will be looking to get a read on how Trump intends to push ahead on resolving the war in Gaza, dealing with Iran's rapidly progressing nuclear program and addressing India-Pakistan tensions.

And after weeks of threats and cajoling, it remains to be seen if Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will listen to Trump, who is demanding they meet in Istanbul this week to discuss ending Russia's war on Ukraine.

Trump, for his part, projected confidence that the meeting will happen and even seemed somewhat optimistic that the end to the conflict is near. He floated the idea of making a detour from his itinerary to visit Turkey if he thinks his presence would be constructive.

“I was thinking about flying over. I don’t know where I am going be on Thursday,” Trump said. “I’ve got so many meetings. … There’s a possibility there, I guess, if I think things can happen.”

But Ukraine’s allies remained deeply skeptical Monday about prospects for talks and whether Putin was serious about peace.

“If there is no ceasefire, there cannot be talks under fire,” European Union commission vice president Kaja Kallas told reporters at a meeting on Ukraine in London. “We want to see that Russia also wants peace. It takes two to want peace, it takes only one to want war, and we see that Russia clearly wants war.”

Just as Trump was preparing to depart Washington for the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, was released.

Trump and administration officials framed the moment — a goodwill gesture toward Trump by Hamas — as a chance to get foundering peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas back on track.

“This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved one,” Trump posted on social media after Hamas extended the offer Sunday. “Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict.”

While Trump pumped up Alexander’s release as a potential turning point, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was far more subdued. Israel, notably, has not stepped back from plans to expand its war in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s office, in a statement Monday, underscored it had “not committed to a ceasefire of any kind or the release of terrorists” in exchange for Alexander.

“The negotiations will continue under fire, during preparations for an intensification of the fighting,” the prime minister’s office statement said.

As he prepared to leave Washington, Trump also said he’s weighing removing sanctions on the Syrian government. It's an issue that's top of mind for the three Gulf leaders, who have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and will want Trump to follow through.

“We may want to take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start,” said Trump, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged him to do so.

The comments marked a striking change in tone from Trump, who has been deeply skeptical of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

Al-Sharaa took power after his Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led an offensive that toppled former President Bashar Assad in December.

The Trump administration has yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government. Sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad also remain in place.

Trump also took credit for his administration keeping India and Pakistan from returning to a state of all-out war amid the deadliest fighting in six years between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

The president said he and aides were ultimately able to talk sense to India and Pakistan's leadership and guide them away from further escalation by dangling carrots, while also threatening both nations with sticks.

“I said, ‘Come on, we’re going to do a lot of trade with you guys,’” Trump said. “'If you stop it, we’ll do trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade.' People never use trade the way I used it.”

The situation remains tenuous. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday that his country has only “paused” its military action and will “retaliate on its own terms” if there is any future terror attack on the country.

The president will arrive in the region after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, held the fourth round of nuclear talks Sunday in Oman with Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.

As the talks continue, the Trump administration has sent mixed messages about what nuclear work Iran would be allowed to do under a potential deal.

Senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have said that Tehran would be required to import enriched material to run nuclear reactors for civilian purposes. Trump, however, said last week that his administration hasn’t made a decision on the issue.

It’s also unclear if Trump will insist that Tehran give up support of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi militants in Yemen as part of any nuclear deal.

Whatever his negotiating frame may be, Trump seemed confident that Iran is engaging rationally, and that he will cement a deal soon.

“You can’t have a nuclear weapon," Trump said of his demand for Iran. "But I think that they are talking intelligently.”

However, the two sides still appear a long way from any deal, even as time passes on a two-month deadline imposed by Trump.

Madhani reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP writer Jill Lawless contributed from London.

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on his way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on his way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)