The quarterback competition taking place in the Cleveland Browns facility is astonishing. A failed first round pick looking for redemption (Kenny Pickett) is going toe-to-toe with a 40-year-old who’s still got it (Joe Flacco). Waiting in the wings hoping to usurp both of them are two rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who were drafted two rounds apart in April.
Pickett appears to be in the lead as of now, despite many fans wanting to see Sanders win the starting job outright. That doesn’t seem to be very plausible at the moment, as he’s been fourth in line for team reps at most practices. It’s not too much of a surprise given Sanders was drafted in the fifth round. Meanwhile, another fifth round draft pick is climbing his way up the depth chart at another position.
Jamari Thrash impressing Kevin Stefanski at Browns minicamp
With the Browns needing wide receivers other than Jerry Jeudy to step up after the departure of Amari Cooper, second-year player Jamari Thrash has made a very positive impression during minicamp. Head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke highly of Thrash during a recent practice.
“He’s had a really strong spring. He’s here all the time working on his body. Very intelligent player, can line up in multiple positions which I think is valuable. You know, the quarterbacks like how he gets open. He finds a way to get open vs. zone, vs man.“
Thrash has impressed so much that he’s been getting first-team reps during minicamp practices. While that’s mainly been due to Cedric Tillman being sidelined along with David Bell and Michael Woods II, Thrash has fully taken advantage of his opportunity.
Thrash was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, coming out of a one-year stint at Louisville after four seasons at Georgia State. Thrash was particularly productive in his last two college seasons, but he barely played in his rookie season with the Browns. He only caught three passes for 22 yards while playing 143 total snaps.
Behind Jeudy, the team has a lot of question marks at wide receiver. Tillman flashed potential in 2024, but he’s still wholly unproven. Bell hasn’t lived up to his college prospect profile in three years with the team. Veteran Diontae Johnson bounced around three different teams in 2024. There’s an opportunity for Thrash to earn plenty of playing time this season.
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