Although Joe Flacco is slated to start Week 1 for the Cleveland Browns, all eyes will be on the backup spot in training camp.
The Browns will have a competition for Flacco’s backup as the team has Kenny Pickett, Dillion Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders waiting in the wings.
Cleveland traded for Pickett earlier in the offseason and later drafted Gabriel and Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft to fill the room with talent and now the challenge will be sorting out who will stick around on the 53-man roster.
While Pickett has the most experience and Gabriel was drafted higher, Sanders offers the most upside at the position, given his pedigree and college production.
So far, Sanders has been getting acclimated to the NFL through their offseason workouts and he’s seemingly making an impression on the team, according to Jeremy Fowler via ESPN Cleveland.
“And they all really answered the bell, including Sanders who showed the ability to put the ball in some tight windows. He threw with aggressiveness, took some chances, and they like where he sits. Now Stefanski has to formulate a plan in training camp that’s probably a little more crystallized. Maybe has a little bit of a depth chart to it. They are not there yet, but Sanders has made an impression no doubt,” Fowler said.
“Sanders has made an impression, no doubt,” – @JFowlerESPN on Shedeur Sanders 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/JT6DgvDrzX
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 14, 2025
From Fowler’s report, it sounds like Sanders has been ahead of schedule and proving that he shouldn’t have slid so far down the draft.
While he’s not a perfect prospect, Sanders has legitimate passing talent and could wind up being the biggest steal of the draft.
NEXT:
Browns May Have Found A Hidden Gem At Key Position
