For the first time, the Cleveland Browns' draftees put on their helmets and shoulder pads and got to work on the field out in Berea, Ohio on Friday afternoon.
As expected, it was the two rookie QBs, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, who stole the show as they split reps throughout the session. As head coach Kevin Stefanski said afterward, both signal callers were as advertised.
They were hardly the only players active in Friday's session, though. So without further ado, here are some observations from Day 1 of rookie minicamp.
1) All Eyes on Shedeur
Shedeur Sanders didn't speak to the media on Friday – he and Gabriel were the only draft picks who didn't – but that doesn't mean he didn't have everyone's attention out on the field. Sanders was second up when it came to reps – something Stefanski told the media not to read too much into.
Saying that won't stop anyone from speculating what the order of reps means, though. Regardless, Sanders showed what he did on tape. His ability to process and go through his progressions was noticeable.
He did drift in the pocket a few times when things broke down, but that's something Cleveland will look to coach out of him. There were some wobbler throws, but also some some strikes into tight windows and along the sideline. It was a solid day overall for Sanders.
2) Dillon Gabriel Has Zip
Similar to Sanders, Gabriel looked like he does on film. Very deliberate with his throws, which have some nice zip to them. In comparing him and Sanders, you can tell he is more refined from a technical standpoint. He keeps himself more compact on his dropback, hitch and follow-through.
He had some really nice throws throughout practice, with a lot of zip on them. So much so, in fact, that some of his receivers couldn't quite hang on at times. He also had a really nice throw near the goal line to Harold Fannin Jr. in the back of the end zone that wasn't quite a touchdown because Fannin couldn't get his feet down. We'll give him a gimmie on his first day, though.
3) Pray For Opposing QBs
Despite how fans may have felt about the Browns' decision to trade back and select a defensive tackle in the first round of the draft, Mason Graham is poised to be a stud for this team. Yes, Friday was a mere rookie minicamp practice, but rocking a helmet and shoulder pads for the first time, Graham looked imposing.
During some individual position group drills, he showed off his elite get-off and athleticism as he navigated several drills that required him to weave through various blocking bags. He already looks like such a smooth player for his size.
4) Carson Comp
At one point, Carson Schwesinger said he modeled his game after retired linebacker Luke Kuechly, but on Friday, he was asked if there was any active players he felt his game closely resembled. His answer was Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who just so happens to be his teammate now.
Keeping in mind it's just rookie minicamp, and all of these drafted players are competing against undrafted rookies in drills, Schwesinger's ranginess was on full display.
5) Hitting It Off
Duce Staley was already pushing the buttons of his remodeled running back group. During one drill where the backs were asked to move laterally over bags on the ground, Staley put Dylan Sampson and Quinshon Judkins head-to-head and drummed up some fake smack talk to challenge the Tennessee product to beat him in the drill.
The duo ended the drill with a laugh as they dapped each other up, which felt like a wholesome sign of things to come. They seem to be hitting it off already and have fully embraced the idea of sharing the Browns backfield. Together they could form the NFL's next great one-two punch running back dup.
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