It’s almost amazing how much a year can change. After glorious predictions ahead of his NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders was selected 144th overall last year, but his trajectory has since shifted dramatically. He was named the starting quarterback in the latter half of his rookie season, and now, as part of the first-team reps during the Browns’ three-day voluntary minicamp, he has once again made his presence known.

“I view everything as just I am happy, I am thankful, I am blessed,” Sanders said to the reporters. “I was in a position where I could handle everything that came my way. So now I feel bulletproof.”

As the QB battle heats up between him, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel during the minicamp that started on April 21, Sanders is making sure he doesn’t go unnoticed. He was working with the first team as they kicked off 11-on-11 drills. While the young quarterback’s presence on opening day might seem small to some, it hints at a growing trust in him from the new HC, Todd Monken.

Compared to his rookie season, the 24-year-old appeared more refined and technically fluid in the available clips from the camp. He began practice by cycling through footwork drills and throwing routes in the air. The Colorado alum then hit receiver Isaiah Bond in the flat during team drills on consecutive plays at one point.

Additionally, Sanders worked on his conditioning and familiarized himself with the coaching staff. He mostly fared well in team drills and 7-on-7s, except for one play when he heaved a deep ball down the right side to a double-covered Malachi Corley, which was picked off by cornerback D’Angelo Ross. Sanders said the practice gave him an opportunity for accountability.

“I threw Malachi a go ball, and he slowed down, and I said, ‘Hey,’ I gave him that look [and] said ‘Bro, we can’t afford that,’” Sanders said. “So you give guys chances, and some things go your way, some things don’t. But at the end of the day, we had a serious, deeper connection … So next time he got out there, lined up one on one, and he was able to go get it.”

Featuring in his last seven games as a starter, he put up a 3-4 record, while the franchise ended the season with a 5-12 record. He threw for over 1,400 passing yards while being sacked 23 times. That is a number he will surely look to improve next campaign, and he is already putting in the necessary work while maintaining a positive mindset. And it’s not lost on the newly appointed head coach.

“He was first man up,” Monken said Tuesday afternoon. “The way it was going to turn out, Shedeur was going to get more reps, some of it in [seven on seven], some of it in [11 on 11]. Team periods were slowed down and set up in a way for us to get a look at all of them. The plan was to have Shedeur get a few more reps, but have Deshaun and Shedeur both have reps with the ones.”

In fact, Sanders acknowledged the faith and confidence that Todd Monken has in him. Last year, the coaching staff, led by Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, did not necessarily believe that the former Colorado quarterback was ready to be a starter, which is why they didn’t give him any first-team reps until the week before his first start against the Raiders.

Even though Sanders showed a lot of promise on the first day of the minicamp, HC Todd Monken made the QB competition clear for the next campaign, including the three-day camp.

Todd Monken praised his quarterbacks on opening day

While Shedeur Sanders was the first choice for opening day, reps are expected to rotate over the next two days of the three-day camp, per coach Todd Monken. That structure was intentional, and the recommendation came from quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian, with Todd Monken approving it, as the franchise has yet to settle on a starting quarterback.

Besides Sanders, the veteran Deshaun Watson, who missed last season because of a knee injury, made his presence felt. After attempting 15 passes, he looked effective, and the HC had high praise for both participating quarterbacks, who completed 10 passes apiece. Interestingly, Dillon Gabriel did not receive first-team snaps.

“I thought the quarterbacks functioned unbelievably,” Monken stated. “I thought they were in command.”

Another highlight of the first day of practice was attaching cameras to the helmets of Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson. The 60-year-old noted that all three quarterbacks on the team would wear helmet cameras during the camp, and the footage from practice sessions would help evaluate their performance.

While the first team reps included a majority of key players, the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, was a notable absentee. The likes of Grant Delpit, Denzel Ward, and Jerry Jeudy joined him on the absent list.

Now, as the Cleveland Browns continue evaluating their options, Sanders’ early momentum could prove crucial in shaping the outcome of this evolving QB battle.