If you’re a Buffs fan still losing your mind over what happened at the NFL Draft, your attention should already be shifted to Cleveland.
Let’s just call it what it is: Dillon Gabriel is ahead on the depth chart right now. He was taken in the third round. Shedeur went in the fifth. In the NFL, that usually means that Cleveland had Dillon Gabriel higher on their draft board (I still can't believe that).
But that doesn't mean Shedeur’s locked out of this thing. Far from it.
This rookie minicamp is the first real look the Browns will get at both quarterbacks, and every snap will count. With three veteran QBs in the building (Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett) there’s plenty of opportunity for both of these guys to turn heads.
For Shedeur, he needs to prove he belongs. Forget the draft slide. Forget the haters. This is his shot to show NFL coaches he can hang—his timing, his leadership, his arm, his swagger. All of it is under the microscope now.
But if there is anything we know about Shedeur Sanders, it’s that he is calm and cool when the pressure’s high and the spotlight’s bright.
But I won't sugarcoat it—Gabriel is no slouch. He has a high football IQ, a solid resume, and a gritty playstyle that obviously the Browns coaches and front-office love. He’s consistent and dependable. But Shedeur? He’s seen as the wild card. The one with “star potential” if everything clicks.
The Browns probably won’t carry four QBs into the regular season, so while this may not decide who starts Week 1, it will set the tone. They may cut a veteran QB and send one of these rookies to the practice squad. Anything could happen.
And in case you’re wondering, Cleveland announced—Shedeur will wear No. 12. That’s not the number we’re used to seeing him in, but it makes sense with his relationship with Tom Brady. It's a new start for him.
Either way, this QB battle deserves a spot on HBO's Hard Knocks. It's going to be crazy before we know it.
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