Shedeur Sanders appears comfortable and sharp in his first practice sessions with the Cleveland Browns as the team began its rookie minicamp on Friday in Berea.
During the sessions, Browns insider Brad Stainbrook shared several clips to give a first look at Sanders with his NFL team. The former Colorado star was seen throwing in a drill with receivers and a 7-on-7 scrimmage to start the camp.
Advertisement
Sanders showed off his arsenal with passes over the defense and short throws in different drills. He also threaded passes for two touchdowns during the short-sided scrimmages.
Sanders and fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who the Browns selected with the 94th overall pick, entered the camp together. Browns head coach, Kevin Stefanski, gave Oregon product the first reps on Friday but noted how the order could change in the coming days.
“I wouldn’t look into anything,” Stefanski said. “I think you’ll see the whole weekend, going through the spring. I mean, we don’t pay too close attention to who is in there first.”
Advertisement
When asked if the order could change on Saturday, Stefanski said, “I’ll see who.”
Despite throwing second to begin, Stainbrook reported that Sanders “looked sharper than Dillon Gabriel.”
“This is only the beginning,” he added. “The competition is real, and it’s going to be one of the stories of the season.”
Cleveland selected Sanders with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a surprising draft slide. He entered the NFL after four college seasons split between Jackson State and Colorado.
Apart from each other, Sanders and Gabriel will also compete against veteran signal-callers Joe Flacco and Deshaun Watson (if healthy) as the Browns look to make their third playoff appearance in 23 years after a 3-14 season in 2024.