After all the hits and misses from the Draft, the Browns’ 144 overall pick, Shedeur Sanders, rolled into rookie minicamp like he was born to wear orange and brown. Day 1: 32-for-33, 471 yards, five touchdowns. Day 2? Same chaos—28-of-30, 412 yards, another five touchdowns. That’s 10 TDs in two days. No rookie QB in NFL minicamp history has ever done that. Not Mahomes, not Manning, not Brady. Just Shedeur.

So what’s he earning for all this, you’d ask? Not much. At least, not yet. Because being a fifth-rounder comes with a fifth-round check. His projected rookie deal lands at $4.6 million over four years, per Spotrac. That’s about $1.15 million per season.

He’ll probably get a signing bonus somewhere between $2 and $3 million, but even that depends on how generous the Browns feel. In Boulder, he made more than that off the field. In Cleveland? Welcome to the grind.

Still, former NFL receiver and agent Aaron Lockett sees something cooking: “I thought it was unfortunate how far he slipped [in the draft], but I think Cleveland got a steal,” Lockett told EssentiallySports in an exclusive interview. “I think he’ll come in there and compete, and I think he’s going to make plays over the next couple of years.” If Sanders keeps lighting it up like this, that rookie deal won’t stay untouched for long.

Meanwhile, the Browns did hand out a real bag, just not to Sanders. On Friday, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. signed a four-year, $6.7 million deal, as first reported by Jordan Schultz. The third-rounder out of Bowling Green didn’t just earn that deal out of nowhere. Fannin put up 117 catches for 1,555 yards last year—both single-season records for a college tight end.

Born in Canton. Raised at McKinley High. And now back in Ohio with the Browns. Yeah, that’s a full-circle moment if there ever was one. What’s cooler is that Fannin Jr. was once an All-Ohio safety before flipping to tight end. Now he’s doing his thing on offense and already stepping into a low-key leadership role.

Want proof? Look no further than the rookie minicamp. Fannin wasted zero time getting behind his quarterback. “Obviously, that’s definitely dope for him,” he said about the spotlight surrounding Shedeur. “I mean, I guess it’s a good thing for him. He could use that to his advantage or whatever. Yeah, I mean, I always see him on TikTok or something. It’s pretty cool that I get to be in the same locker room as him for sure.”

So, basically, he’s bought in. On the field, Fannin’s looking to be the security blanket for his QB. Off the field, just vibes. And for a rookie QB, having someone who gets the game and keeps things loose in the locker room? That’s gold. But hold on: is Shedeur the guy? Maybe. Although it won’t be a stroll for him as he’s walking into a crowded QB room, and probably some slow-drip patience from the front office.

Shedeur Sanders will have a lot of competition to fend off

Fifth-rounder or not, Shedeur Sanders is facing a serious uphill climb. We are literally talking about a QB room with Kenny Pickett looking to write his redemption arc after the dry Pittsburgh era, Joe Flacco, the one with the SB MVP, Deshaun Watson (if he makes it in time from rehab), and Dillon Gabriel. That last name, though, the third-round pick out of Oregon, has come in swinging.

Dillon’s got six years of starting experience from UCF to Oklahoma to Oregon. He’s seen it all. And in these early reps, he’s making it count. ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi didn’t hold back: “I thought both days Dillon Gabriel looked a little bit better… He throws a beautiful ball. He’s very assertive. He knows the pocket… Better arm strength than I thought.”

Five quarterbacks. One job. And the spotlight just got a lot brighter. Shedeur has already said, “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity.” Gabriel’s not ducking the pressure, either. “It’s not new to me,” he told reporters. “I’ve done it at every stop… My competition is yesterday.” That’s the mindset you want when reps are scarce and the coaches are watching everything—from cadence to footwork.

The real test begins August 8, when the Browns open preseason against the Panthers. They’ll also face the Eagles and Rams before kicking off the regular season at home versus Cincinnati. Until then, every throw counts. Every snap matters. For Sanders, the highlight reel is sweet, but the depth chart’s the one that keeps score.