Shedeur Sanders Finally Challenges Browns QB Depth Chart

Shedeur Sanders had a mountain to climb once the excitement of his draft selection wore off. The Cleveland Browns picked Sanders a day after drafting Dillon Gabriel, with both joining a quarterback group already occupied by Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. 

These new faces have all joined with Deshaun Watson's injury situation looming in the background. Nonetheless, it's a four-man race for the starting job in Cleveland. 

Sanders began his pursuit of a seat at the table as the lowly No. 4 of the bunch. Despite his impressive college career for the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders has a way to go before seeing out his dream of becoming a starting quarterback in the NFL. 

However, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, the rookie has made some significant strides over the last few weeks. 

"After a bit of a slow start in spring practices, Sanders has come on strong over the past two weeks with plenty of completions, touchdown passes and grasp of the scheme," Cabot said. "Granted, he’s still the fourth-team quarterback and has a long way to go. But he’s made significant strides during recent organized team activities and the mandatory minicamp, remaining alive in the competition."

Cabot cautioned that these reps have come against lesser competition on the roster. That does not negate the impressive arm talent put on full display for the coaching staff. 

This combination of progress and talent has helped Sanders inch closer to the other quarterbacks on the field. While he may not have the time and the reps to cement himself as the Week 1 starter or even backup, this growth is crucial for Sanders' development at the professional level. 

Cleveland has no reason to rush Sanders onto the field, and the progression to that point should be a slow burn. All of Sanders' work now has a singular purpose in proving he deserves a shot at the job down the line when the veterans in the room inevitably leave and the Browns move on from Watson. 

The next step will be translating these impressive results into practice against Cleveland's first-teamers. Having found his groove against the reserves on the roster, that trial run could be coming sooner than later for Sanders.