Analysis: Shedeur Sanders deserves more reps, chance to pass Dillon Gabriel on depth chart

This isn't an overreaction column.I fight jumping to conclusions after Week 1. I certainly don't condone it after the preseason opener.So I'm not calling for Shedeur Sanders to be the starting quarterback of the Browns after a headline-grabbing debut Friday night against the Panthers. Preseason is the preseason.I'm saying he deserves a longer look, which coach Kevin Stefanski said he'll get against the Eagles on Saturday afternoon in the second preseason game. The talent and potential are obvious and shouldn't be ignored. He's thrown it well since he arrived in May and did so again in his first preseason game, throwing two touchdowns in a 30-10 win.Analysis: Shedeur Sanders meets the moment with strong debut in preseason openerMuch has been made of Sanders not getting first-team repetitions through 11 practices of training camp. It's certainly worth noting, especially with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel taking their turns with the starting offense.I understand why Sanders hasn't and don't think it's the end of the world if he still doesn't.Sanders, who fell to the fifth round of the draft, had a lot to learn when he joined the Browns. He didn't call plays in the huddle in college, and the offensive system at Colorado was kept simple so it could move fast. He also had issues taking too many sacks and keeping his footwork consistent.Cleveland's coaches didn't want to overwhelm him and have brought him along slowly. He has been a distant No. 4 in the four-man quarterback competition since it began. There have been plenty of team periods where he didn't get a snap, and some of his best work came on the second field when the coaches held simultaneous drills.The closest he got to first-team reps was working with the second-team offense against the No. 1 defense.Kevin Stefanski won't say whether Shedeur Sanders will get first-team reps following strong debutWith the regular season less than a month away, giving any edge to Gabriel should stop. It made sense early because he was a third-round pick, spent six highly productive seasons in college and the organization wanted to see if he was ready to be the starter, or at least open the season as the No. 2.But Sanders, in different circumstances, has been clearly better than Gabriel. The coaches might counter that Gabriel has been better in the meeting room and before the snap, but he hasn't been with the ball in his left hand.His lack of size (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) will always be an issue, and when that's combined with inaccuracy and incompletions in practice, there's not much to like. That's been the case way too often.The coaches should make it a fair fight between the rookies. The winner gets the No. 3 job with a shot at being No. 2.Gabriel didn't play against the Panthers and has been limited in practice since feeling tightness in his hamstring Aug. 2. He needs preseason reps to reverse the slow start and to hold off Sanders.The momentum for Sanders is real. It's not a media creation or because of his immense popularity, including with some of the most famous people on the planet (LeBron James and Jamie Foxx).The transition to the NFL hasn't been without struggles for Sanders. But he's consistently made plays in practice — and now a game — and has thrown it the best of all four quarterbacks.He doesn't have the arm strength or pretty ball of Flacco, but his accuracy is the separator. So it's not surprising he threw it well against the Panthers. That's what he does. He did it at Colorado (he led the FBS by completing 74 percent in 2024), in organized team activities, minicamp, training camp and in Charlotte, North Carolina.It's a little surprising he handled the operation so smoothly while getting the start vs. the Panthers. He had some hiccups in camp and an overall lack of experience running a complex system like Stefanski's, but he's a gamer and didn't have any issues.A pleasant surprise was the success Sanders had scrambling. He's not the best athlete but proved elusive enough to avoid sacks and have runs of 10 and 9 yards.The whole package, while far from perfect, is encouraging. It's just not cause for overreaction.Flacco should be the starter when the season opens. He's leading the race, although the organization isn't ready to rule out Pickett, even though his hamstring injury has kept him from making a push.Pickett, if healthy, should begin the season as the backup. Gabriel isn't up for being a snap away from playing, and it's not wise to rush Sanders. Switching from the patient approach at this point would be a mistake.But he's earned more repetitions and the chance to pass Gabriel on the depth chart.The post Analysis: Shedeur Sanders deserves more reps, chance to pass Dillon Gabriel on depth chart first appeared on BrownsZone with Scott Petrak.