Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders continued to be the focal point of the four-way competition for QB1 as minicamp got underway. The Colorado alum impressed during rookie minicamp and OTAs, but the real test awaited at camp. To the surprise of his critics, he appeared to be the frontrunner for the starting job once again.
Shedeur Sanders Emerges as Best QB at Day 1 of Cleveland Browns Minicamp
As has become the trend since Sanders was selected 144th overall by the Browns, ESPN Cleveland released the stats from Day 1 of minicamp, and it was clear the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders was living up to the pre-draft buzz.
The 23-year-old backed up his 2024 college pass completion rate of 74% and shined in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, completing 10 of 12 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions. Kenny Pickett was next best, going 6-for-10 with three touchdowns. Dillon Gabriel went 7-for-18 with one touchdown, which was a highlight play. Joe Flacco, for reasons unknown, did not participate in team reps.
Sanders silenced doubters of his arm strength on his final touchdown of the day in a 7-on-7 drill. He zipped a ball past linebacker Winston Reid to hit Gage Larvadain on a post route.
Browns minicamp no. 1 is in the books. Here’s how all four QBs performed in 7v7 and 11v11 team drills. pic.twitter.com/D2YhK7fEMb
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 10, 2025
Earlier in the day, Sanders dropped a 30-yard deep ball right into Larvadain’s hands, a throw that quickly went viral. “That was by far the best play of the day, perfect pass, perfect execution, and he made it look easy … That was a work of beauty,” wrote former three-time Super Bowl champion Je’Rod Cherry.
But maybe Sanders’ most NFL-ready moment came during 11-on-11 drills. He hit his drop and delivered a strike to Diontae Johnson on a curl route—precisely the kind of throw he’ll be expected to make regularly in the league.
SHEDEUR THREADS THE NEEDLE FOR THE TD 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/H2QIP0aDfB
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 10, 2025
Analysts aren’t the only ones noticing. Sanders’ teammates are impressed, too.
SHEDEUR DEEP TD DOT 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/NRIV4nJE6A
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 10, 2025
“He’s been amazing,” said star corner Greg Newsome II on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “It’s just crazy a guy this young with this much notoriety can just handle media and things like that. … He’s been doing an incredible job of just learning and getting better each day.”
Shedeur Sanders to Diontae Johnson on a curl route. Nice throw in between a few defenders closing in. Couple plays earlier he dropped a dime to Gage Larvadain down the far sideline for 6. pic.twitter.com/0ZSLB7p08c
— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) June 10, 2025
It’s worth noting that Sanders has received fewer reps than the other quarterbacks during OTAs and now minicamp. He’s often worked with backups. Still, the 23-year-old isn’t worried about the depth chart. He’s focused on his development and capitalizing on every rep.
“There’s no excuses because when you get out there, nobody cares how many reps you got whenever you get in the game,” Sanders said after camp. “Nobody cares if you took a snap before. Everybody cares about production. So that’s the main thing when you get out there: You got to be able to produce.”
