5 Things to Watch for at Cleveland Browns Mandatory Minicamp

1) Next Phase of QB Competition

Get ready for another week of Kevin Stefanski telling everyone not to read too much into the rotation of QBs or the rep counts. He can say that all he wants, but how the divvy up reps throughout the three days of minicamp will be enlightening.

As things stand right now, if feels like Pickett is still a favorite internally to win the starting job, with Joe Flacco just behind. Dillon Gabriel is currently out in front of Shedeur Sanders, but if the latter continues making the most of his reps, some shuffling may be in order.

Things will ratchet up just a little bit more this week as Stefanski and company will need to get a sense of what the QB depth chart will be when training camp opens next month.

2) What's his Role?

Since signing with the Browns in early May, Diontae Johnson has been around the team, but he was noticeably absent from OTAs over the last several weeks.

Minicamp offers the first opportunity for us to see how the Browns plan on deploying Johnson, and where he fits into the WR rotation in general. Given the state of that group, he should have an easy path to making this team if he simply buys in.

That seems like a big if at this stage of his career though. Either way, if he's going to be part of the Browns plans in 2025, we'll get our first look at how he fits this week.

3) Head-to-Head

Dawand Jones has been arguably the biggest non-quarterback story of the offseason program.

The 2023 fourth-round pick looks healthy and more athletic. He talked last week about his efforts to convert body fat into muscle during the offseason. As impressive as he looks, though, the real test begins with him lining up across from Myles Garrett at left tackle this week.

Obviously, things are still dialed back a bit without full pads being on, but Garrett can simulate some looks for Jones, and flash his elite get-off to simulate some realistic reps he's likely to see this season. It's going to be a fun head-to-head matchup to follow as Jones looks to make a smooth transition to the left side. There is no better player to help him prepare for that more than Garrett.

4) Dueling Tight Ends

Given Cleveland's uninspiring WR room, tight ends David Njoku and rookie Harold Fannin Jr. figure to play important roles in the Browns offense this year.

Njoku's role is well established at this point. He's one of the best blocking tight ends in football and is likely to continue to be relied upon for that in numerous packages, while also looking to reestablish himself as a pass catcher.

Fannin Jr. is a bit undersized to be that inline blocker right now, which means he's likely to take on a bigger role in the passing game, especially if Cleveland is lacking a real weapon at wideout in the slot.

Seeing how much 12 personnel the Browns show this week and how both Njoku and Fannin Jr. are deployed will be interesting.

5) Rotations

The QB competition gets all the headlines but another important battle is underway on defense for the Browns at the DE spot opposite of Myles Garrett.

With Garrett present, seeing the early stages of Jim Schwartz's rotations will be notable. It's likely to be some concoction of Isaiah McGuire, Alex Wright and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

Similarly, rookie Mason Graham is expected to be a day-one starter, of course, but how the other interior spot is handled rotation-wise will also be worth keeping an eye on. Mike Hall, and Maliek Collins will both be vying for that role.