Once viewed as a likely early-round pick, Colorado standout Shedeur Sanders tumbled to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Now with the Cleveland Browns, Sanders has quickly turned heads at rookie minicamp.
His impressive showing sets up a compelling quarterback battle in Cleveland. Sanders and fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel went head-to-head during camp, giving fans and analysts alike a reason to closely watch this developing storyline.
Browns Insider Praises Former Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders’ Performance at Rookie Minicamp
Shedeur Sanders’ early days with the Cleveland Browns have already turned heads, with his performance during rookie minicamp drawing high praise from both team insiders and national analysts.
Among the rest notable evaluations came from Zac Jackson of The Athletic, who spoke candidly about Sanders’ display while appearing on the “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show”.
A Cleveland Browns reporter who was present at minicamp was asked who was better between the 2 quarterbacks between Shedeur and Dillon Gabriel
“It’s not close….Shedeur Sanders.”
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— TrendingSportsPodcast (@TrendingSportsP) May 12, 2025
When asked by host and WKYC sports anchor Jay Crawford to compare Sanders with fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Jackson didn’t hesitate.
“In just throwing the ball? It’s not close, Shedeur Sanders… it’s not close, no,” Jackson said bluntly.
Jackson elaborated on the scene during camp, noting that while the setting was limited—no pads or full-speed action—the gap between the two quarterbacks in passing was evident.
“It’s telling. They’re side by side and they’re not asked to do much, but they’re both asked to do the same thing and one of them looked discernibly better than the other,” Jackson said. “I think that… I didn’t know that we would get that out of this. I mean, we’re standing here, Jay, there on the field. They break the huddle from team stretch and team jog and they go both pick up the ball and throw it… It’s no question.”
Still, Jackson cautioned that this was only rookie minicamp and evaluations should be kept in context.
“Let me couch that by saying this is rookie minicamp. No pads, no full-speed competition, nobody coming to knock your head off,” Jackson added.
Jackson went further, praising Sanders’ natural ability as a passer and his fit at the NFL level.
“I’m impressed with the way Shedeur threw the ball—like, it jumps off his hands,” he said. “This is what an NFL quarterback’s supposed to look like.”
National praise followed. Former NFL running back and current FOX analyst LeSean McCoy amplified the buzz, citing internal Browns feedback about Sanders’ standout performance.
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“I have my sources… and they’ve informed me… that he appears to be the best player in the whole camp, [despite being a] fifth-rounder,” McCoy said. “When you observe Shedeur Sanders, his goal isn’t to take on a backup position with [the Browns]. He’s there to compete for the starting spot.”
Early signs suggest Sanders may have already begun that climb.
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