Browns rookie minicamp: Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel begin crowded QB competition

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BEREA, Ohio — As the Browns go through the next phases of their offseason program, the top storylines will continue to revolve around what’s perceived to be a four-man competition for the starting quarterback’s job — and the places behind the starter on the depth chart.

We’ll be watching, tracking and guessing, too. Kevin Stefanski’s vague answers (or just plain non-answers) at last weekend’s rookie minicamp will likely continue. Stefanski wants the internal focus to be on the work ahead and getting the entire team ready, not just the quarterback group. But the Browns have a crowd in their quarterback room and little quarterback certainty now or in the future, so every change in rotation and every notable performance will be discussed and dissected.

“We’ll work through the (order of the reps),” Stefanski said. “I know this will probably fall on deaf ears, but don’t look too much into it, OK? There are plenty of reps. There’s a lot of time between now and September, so we’ll have a plan. But it’s an all-encompassing evaluation. It’s not something that it’s just based on the practice reps. There’s a lot that goes into it.”

Rookie minicamp marked the beginning of the competition for drafted rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett have been participating in the team’s formal offseason workout program since April 21, and Gabriel and Sanders will join them this week. Flacco and Pickett are under contract only through 2025, and Deshaun Watson isn’t expected to be healthy at any point in the coming months or a real part of the team’s future plans.

Though Stefanski wanted no part of real discussion about which player will get the first snap or the most snaps when organized team activity practices begin in late May, he did admit that the team shaped its rookie minicamp itinerary differently because Gabriel and Sanders will be part of the competition. Rookie minicamp was still mostly instructional and orientation-based, but the Browns added 7-on-7 passing sessions to each practice because Stefanski said they wanted to “maximize reps” for their rookies.

Gabriel was up first in the competitive drills, which made sense because he was selected late in the third round and Sanders went 50 picks later in the fifth round. But Stefanski steered clear of any talk about real order or eventual rep division. “I wouldn’t look into anything,” Stefanski said. “I think you’ll see this whole weekend, going through the spring … we don’t pay too close attention to who’s in for that first snap.

“Not so much worried about how (the rookies) stack up, per se, but excited to have them around Deshaun, Joe and Kenny. Welcome them into the quarterback room and (help them) understand that’s a place where we work really hard, we talk about a ton of football, high-level football. I think they’ll fit in really well. I thought both Dillon and Shedeur did a nice job (in minicamp).”

Shedeur launched a BOMB ☄️ pic.twitter.com/grlJcMGu8u

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 11, 2025

New offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave were rarely more than a few feet from Gabriel and Sanders in minicamp. After Friday’s practice, Sanders stayed on the field for almost 30 minutes to get extra work with a group of wide receivers. Sanders said he spent “hours” in the playbook and didn’t watch the Cleveland Cavaliers’ playoff win Friday night because he was busy studying.

Watson suffered a second torn Achilles tendon in early January. Stefanski said Watson is “working really hard, doing a nice job in his rehab. Doing a great job in the meeting room as well.”

A quick chuckle

Sanders is wearing No. 12, at least through the spring and training camp. His college jersey number, No. 2, went to Browns veteran wide receiver DeAndre Carter last week when the team announced a round of jersey changes and initial numbers for the rookie class.

Saturday, Sanders was asked if he planned to try to buy No. 2 from Carter.

“I’m not trying to buy anything,” Sanders said. “My signing bonus ain’t that high right now.”

Speaking of signing bonuses, second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger and fourth-round running back Dylan Sampson became the first members of the Browns’ seven-man draft class to sign their standard four-year rookie contracts.

Second-round running back Quinshon Judkins, who chose No. 10, told reporters that rookies were not allowed to choose single-digit numbers when they reported for minicamp last Thursday. Judkins wore No. 1 at Ohio State last fall.

Actual numbers game

The Browns announced the signings of 13 undrafted rookies to the 90-man offseason roster. Though many of them had been previously reported, the team did not make them official until the start of minicamp.

It’s too early to really know how any of the undrafted rookies might play their way into the team’s long-term plans, but there are two players who can be viewed as preparing to enter competitions for roles. After the Browns cut longtime long snapper Charley Hughlett last February, they’ll have two long snappers on the roster for now: Rex Sunahara, last year’s emergency replacement, and undrafted rookie Brent Matisick, a six-year college player who was TCU’s long snapper the last three seasons.

There also is going to be a fullback competition with the expectation that the Browns will utilize the position this season. Troy Hairston, who has some game experience with the Houston Texans, signed a futures contract in January. Undrafted rookie Eli Wilson of Appalachian State was listed as a tight end in his 50-game college career, but the Browns list Wilson as a fullback. Probably, the chances of a fullback making the regular-season roster are tied to the number of tight ends and true running backs who end up sticking around as the offense and offensive depth chart evolve.

Stefanski said that the Browns might have to keep more wide receivers on the offseason roster to make sure there are enough available pass catchers for the quarterback reps this spring and summer. That’s something to track, and generally there’s some turnover at the bottom of the roster through May and June as the Browns evaluate the tryout players who participated in rookie minicamp and available veteran free-agent options at positions like safety, tight end, wide receiver, offensive tackle and linebacker.

Two wide receivers were part of the initial undrafted rookie class: Gage Larvadian of South Carolina and Ja’seem Reed of San Diego.

The team’s other undrafted rookie signees are defensive end Adin Huntington, offensive tackle Jason Ivey, cornerbacks LaMareon James and Dom Jones, running back Ahmani Marshall, linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, safety Donovan McMillon, center Justin Osborne and guard Dartanyan Tinsley.

Odds and ends

Rookie minicamp wrapped up Sunday afternoon. The team’s rookies will join the full offseason program this week, and the first organized team activity practice is set for May 27. Teams get up to 10 optional OTA practices; the Browns will hold their three-day mandatory minicamp in mid-June.

Stefanski said he had no update on the status of linebacker Devin Bush, who was arrested on charges of assault and harassment involving his girlfriend last weekend. Stefanski said Bush, who started 10 games last year and signed a new one-year deal in March, was in the building last week as part of the offseason workout program.

The full NFL regular-season schedule will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday May 14. The Browns’ London game date and opponent will be announced Tuesday morning on NFL Network.

(Photo of Shedeur Sanders: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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