The Browns rookies have been outstanding throughout the season. The class is so impressive, it might save general manager Andrew Berry his job.
It was even better last week in the win over the Raiders.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders got a victory in his first start and contributed to historic production from the rookies.
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The Browns were the first team in the Super Bowl era with five rookies to each have 40 yards from scrimmage in the same game — Sanders, running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and receiver Isaiah Bond.
“It’s definitely dope,” Fannin, a third-round pick, told The Chronicle-Telegram this week. “Back in May, this is the NFL, you don’t think everybody’s going to get a shot, but it’s kind of crazy that our rookie class is taking big steps and helping the team move the needle and things like that. Definitely dope.”
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, Judkins, defensive tackle Mason Graham and Fannin lead the class and made immediate contributions. The quartet is enough to believe Berry has succeeded in adding young talent to a roster that had gotten older and top-heavy.
If Sanders — or Dillon Gabriel if he surprises — emerges as the long-term answer at the game’s most important position, the class of 2025 will reach another level. Seven rookies were in the draft class and another six are on the 53-man roster.
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“I’m just thankful Andrew Berry made the choices he made and the coaching staff for getting us all here,” Sanders said as he prepared to make his first home start today against the 49ers. “I feel like it’s a great class. We all bond together. We’re all like family.
“So I’m just thankful that we’re all here together and I know it is going to be very exciting. You have high expectations for us. We’re here to exceed those.”
Here are a few of the keys to the continued emergence of the rookies.
LIVE AND LEARN
Sanders’ signature play vs. the Raiders was a 52-yard completion to Bond to set up a Judkins touchdown run. Sanders escaped the pocket and threw a deep strike on the move as he was about to get hit. The explosive play had been missing from the offense all season, and Sanders brings a combination of elite accuracy and desire to throw downfield.
That was in the scouting report. A surprise was how well he handled the pass rush.
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He was sacked 94 times in two years at Colorado and had the bad habit of drifting backward and losing big chunks of yardage. The issue showed up in the preseason finale and his NFL debut off the bench vs. the Ravens.
Against the Raiders, he stepped up in the pocket and was sacked only once, for 3 yards. The progress was obvious.
“I don’t think there’s a magic solution here,” coordinator Tommy Rees said. “I would love to say, ‘hey, there’s one thing that we do that gets him to stay in the pocket.’ It’s just the teachable moments that come up throughout the course of a game to show him what a clean pocket looks like or if we got a route concept versus coverage we really like, you might be a little bit more willing to hang in there and let it develop. And a lot of that comes with time and reps and time on task.”
Sanders was the first Browns quarterback to win his first NFL start since Eric Zeier in 1995. He can become the first in the Super Bowl era to win his first two starts.
“I thought that was a really, really strong outing for Shedeur in his first start to just have one sack,” coach Kevin Stefanski said.
“The coaches stressed it a lot,” left guard Joel Bitonio said. “Shedeur did a great job of getting the ball out when he could. There was quick passing game and scrambling to make plays and looking downfield, instead of scrambling to go backwards. All those things were huge improvements this week. He worked on it tremendously.”
Sanders went 11-for-20 for 209 yards, a touchdown, an interception and an 87.3 passer rating. He said he wasn’t satisfied with earning a second start and expects more from himself.
“As he gets comfortable in what they’re asking him to do, he’s only going to get better because you could tell how important it is to him and how much work he’s going to put into it,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “A guy who’s as good, as gifted as he is, both physically and mentally and with the confidence he has, you just know he’s going to get better.”
HARD TO HANDLE
Fannin does a lot well. Run after the catch might top the list.
The skill and determination were on display multiple times against the Raiders as he ran through would-be tacklers to pick up first downs.
“I don’t really notice it,” the Canton McKinley and Bowling Green product said. “Obviously it’s just something I’ve been doing for a while. It’s just me being me and just relentless effort, just trying to make a play.”
Fannin leads the Browns with 48 catches, tied for most by a Browns rookie in the first 12 weeks. He’s tied for third among NFL rookies and is fifth with 462 receiving yards.
“Unbelievable. He’s done that all year,” Rees said. “We try to tell our guys, when you think Harold’s being tackled, he’s probably not. So keep playing through the play and keep blocking for him and keep hustling because that block could be the difference.”
Sampson, a fourth-round pick, is close to Fannin and said he loves the way he works during the week and plays on Sundays.
“It’s motivating because when nobody’s fighting, Harold is always fighting,” Sampson said.
A SLOW BURN
Graham, the No. 5 pick, has been overshadowed in the class and along the defensive line. That’s starting to change.
He’s played perhaps his best two games the last two weeks, crediting an increased comfort level.
“I feel like especially these past few weeks I’ve started just to become more alive and get back there more and make more plays,” he said. “Just doing me, trusting me, trusting the guys around me and I feel like this defense is really coming together and getting better and better every week.”
He’s still looking for his first full sack but has made his presence felt in the middle. So has Schwesinger, the favorite for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with a team-high 89 tackles, adding two interceptions, 1.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. The tackles and tackles for loss lead NFL rookies.
AND MANY MORE
Judkins is the focal point of the offense and has 667 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. The yards lead NFL rookies and the touchdowns share the top spot.
Sampson has made his best plays the last two weeks, including a 66-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown vs. the Raiders.
Undrafted receiver Gage Larvadain set up a Judkins touchdown with a 44-yard punt return.
Bond caught the 52-yarder, wants more chances and believes Sanders will give him them.
“I’m a deep threat, so it feels good to catch deep balls,” Bond said. “It’s a very, very high upside to our rookie class.”
So much youth and inexperience bring growing pains, which have been obvious in the 3-8 start. Rees focused only on the positives.
“Seeing their development throughout the year is pretty rewarding as a coach,” he said. “When you have young guys that you think about the first time they step foot in the building for rookie minicamp to having Samp lead the team on a breakdown after practice or in the meeting room and just seeing their roles increase, seeing their development take place, seeing tangible evidence of where they’ve improved on the field both mentally and physically, that part is exciting.
“That group of guys are a lot of fun to work with. They got a good connection, they have good energy about them. Football is very important to all those players, and to see that group collectively take a step forward and help us win a game was really rewarding as a coach.”
Browns writer for The Chronicle-Telegram and The Medina Gazette. Proud graduate of Northwestern University. Husband and stepdad. Avid golfer who needs to hit the range to get down to a single-digit handicap. Right about Johnny Manziel, wrong about Brandon Weeden. Contact Scott at 440-329-7253, or email and follow him on and Twitter.
