The spotlight is on Shedeur Sanders as the Cleveland Browns ramp up their quarterback competition — but there’s no guarantee the rookie will see early playing time, or even make the final 53-man roster.
The Browns opened OTAs this week, though no official depth chart has been released and head coach Kevin Stefanski hasn’t tipped his hand. Still, Sanders is widely viewed as the No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart, trailing veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, as well as fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Sanders endured a dramatic draft slide, falling from a projected first-round selection to No. 144 overall in the fifth round. Cleveland passed on him multiple times, selecting Gabriel earlier in the third.
While Sanders is one of the most recognizable rookies in the league — with a massive following and one of the NFL’s top-selling jerseys — his roster spot is not secure.
“Fifth-round picks are not a lock to make the roster. I don’t think he is 100% a lock,” James Palmer of Bleacher Report said. “He has one of the highest-selling jerseys in the NFL right now. I think that sometimes plays a part, the popularity, especially in the eyes of owners. But you don’t draft a guy in the third round and cut him.”
Browns Trying to Balance Reps for Quarterbacks
With four quarterbacks competing for the starting job, the Browns are doing their best to balance the available practice reps, even running simultaneous 7-on-7 drills.
During Wednesday’s session open to the media, Sanders did not get a lot of work. But Stefanski noted that it was just one day and that the team is keeping very close attention to everything their quarterbacks do.
“All of these reps we’ve talked about are super valuable, whether you’re getting the rep or not. If you’re standing behind and you’re getting the rep as it happens, or you’re getting it in the, in the meeting room or you’re doing VR — all these reps add up and with every position, they’re being graded on every play,” Stefanski said. “And there’s a variety of things that they’re being graded on, but obviously for the quarterback, decision making, technique, accuracy, those type of things. But we just, we love the opportunity with being out here on the practice field, being able to have two drills where we can maximize all the time that we’re out here.”
Browns Have Been Impressed by Shedeur Sanders
Sanders may be facing an uphill battle. But he’s made a good early impression with the Browns with his work ethic.
“Shedeur is a great kid,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said during a radio interview with ESPN Cleveland. “He is working like crazy, like all the guys. My office is downstairs. They got to walk by my office when they come in. They get in early. Shedeur, just like all those guys, is in there early, getting his work done. He’s working really hard. I like everything about Shedeur.”
The Browns have some time but will have to make a critical decision on Sanders future in Cleveland soon.
