Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Taylen Green managed to turn heads during the rookie minicamp on Friday. But with Cleveland’s quarterback room already crowded, head coach Todd Monken also offered the sixth-round pick a quick reality check ahead of OTAs. Speaking from minicamp, Monken said

“It’s exciting to have him out here and let him just play through some things. Obviously, this is the time for him to get reps. Once we get into OTAs, you know, in another week, that’s really going to diminish. I mean, you’re not going to see as much of him because of the numbers. But I’m excited. I’m excited for him. He’s a great kid, and everything we’ve heard about him so far is maturity.”

Even though Green is only days into his NFL career, the 23-year-old already impressed scouts and Cleveland’s coaching staff throughout the pre-draft process thanks to his athletic profile and production across stops at Boise State and Arkansas.

Green stands at 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, and his testing numbers at the NFL Combine immediately grabbed attention. He posted a quarterback-record 43.5-inch vertical, an 11-foot-2 broad jump, and ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, which became the third-fastest time ever recorded by a quarterback at the event.

He now enters the NFL after appearing in 53 collegiate games, throwing for 9,662 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions while also adding 2,405 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns. So, there is no denying Green has the physical tools and overall profile to eventually compete at the NFL level.

The problem is the situation he walked into. Cleveland’s quarterback room already includes Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel alongside Green, which makes it easy to understand why his reps will naturally decrease once the full offseason program begins.

Right now, Watson is still viewed as the favorite to start, with either Sanders or Gabriel potentially backing him up. Monken has also made it clear that he wants the Browns to identify a starting quarterback before training camp officially begins. That means most of the meaningful OTA reps are expected to go toward Watson, Sanders, and Gabriel.

Green certainly stood out during the rookie minicamp, but there was context attached to that performance as well. The only other quarterback participating alongside him was Bryson Barnes, who attended camp on a tryout basis. Once OTAs begin, Green will officially enter a much more crowded competition, which is exactly why Monken openly admitted his reps would become limited.

At the same time, Green remains a developmental prospect heading into Year 1. His dual-threat ability is obvious, and he has even compared parts of his game to Lamar Jackson. But there is still one major concern surrounding him: turnovers.

During his time at Arkansas, Green accounted for 37 turnovers, while finishing his college career with 35 interceptions overall. It is also an issue that the quarterback fully recognizes himself.

“I’ve got to do a better job of securing the ball,” he said. “It’s my responsibility. Every single play, I have the responsibility to hold the ball or carry the ball. Every single play, I touch the ball. That’s one of the perks of quarterback. The ball is the team, the team is the ball. So just take more responsibility and be more aware of those things.”

For now, Green still has time to maximize his opportunities before the rookie minicamp wraps up on May 10. After that, he will likely settle deep into the depth chart while the Browns focus most of their attention on the Watson-Sanders-Gabriel quarterback battle.

And while Watson and Sanders are still expected to compete for the QB1 role, the outside narratives around Sanders entering his second NFL season have not exactly been encouraging.

Year two could start the same way for Shedeur Sanders

Shedeur Sanders entered his rookie season buried on the depth chart as a third-string quarterback. Fast forward to this offseason, and there was real optimism surrounding his chances of earning the starting job in Year 2. But while many expected Sanders to at least settle in as Deshaun Watson’s backup, Tony Grossi believes Dillon Gabriel could ultimately win that role, leaving Sanders back as the third-string quarterback once again.

“Gabriel’s a guy who’ll just keep quiet. He’ll study; he’ll stay up on the game plan, he’ll support the starter in any way he can,” Grossi said on ESPNCleveland. “He’ll run the scout team, and if needed, he’ll play. That’s what you want out of a backup quarterback.”

Gabriel opened his rookie year backing up Joe Flacco before eventually taking over as the starter in Week 5. He finished the season with 937 passing yards and seven touchdowns. However, after Gabriel suffered a concussion, Sanders stepped into the lineup and held onto the starting role for the remainder of the season.

While Gabriel went 1-5 across six starts, Sanders finished the year throwing for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns while posting a 3-4 record. Still, heading into Year 2, Grossi does not necessarily view Sanders as an ideal backup option.

“Shedeur’s shadow is so huge. I think it’s one of the reasons teams shied away from him in the draft. If you didn’t like him as the starter, you did not consider him as a backup,” Grossi added.

The conversation around Sanders’ QB1 chances first shifted when reports surfaced last month that Watson held a clear edge over him during voluntary minicamp. Fast forward to now, and although the quarterback competition is still expected to continue, Grossi’s comments added another layer to the uncertainty surrounding Sanders’ role heading into his second NFL season.

That also means the Browns are once again entering the offseason program with questions surrounding the quarterback room. Whether this competition finally brings clarity or turns into another messy situation like last year remains to be seen.