Where Shedeur Sanders stands 3 weeks from Panthers-Browns preseason debut

It's been a long time since we saw the Carolina Panthers take the field in a real game, but soon that drought will mercifully come to an end. Veterans will be reporting to training camp on Tuesday, and not long after the team will make its preseason debut at home against the Cleveland Browns - slated for Friday, August 8.

As excited as we are to see guys like Tetairoa McMillan and Jimmy Horn Jr. see their first action at the NFL level, the headliner for this matchup is playing on the other side. That'll be Cleveland's rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was ranked QB2 in this draft class but slipped to the fifth round.

Despite the slide Sanders is one of the league's most-popular young players - he currently leads all rookies in jersey sales. So, how's it going on the field for Son of Prime? It's been a bit of a mixed bag, if the latest reporting is any indication.

ESPN: Sanders has 'got a ways to go'

According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, Sanders did perform well during the team's spring program. However, most of it came against third-string defenders and he's still got a lot of work to do. Here's what he shared in a recent appearance of NFL Live.

"Shedeur Sanders did impress in the spring... He was willing to throw the ball in tight windows. He was accurate, but when you ask people with Cleveland, they do bring some caution there. We're like, look, 'He was working against the third team a lot. Not much of a pass rush.' He's got a ways to go and so that will probably show early on in camp."

Sanders joins the most-crowded quarterback room in the NFL and will have to compete with long-time veteran Joe Flacco, the ghost of Deshaun Watson and a few other young unproven QBs, including Oregon's Dillon Gabriel and former first-round pick Kenny Pickett.

However, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot expects that Sanders should have a shot to compete for the starting quarterback job at camp.

Sanders should compete for QB1 job

"The good news for Shedeur, the Browns' fifth-round pick out of Colorado, is that he performed so well over the final two weeks of spring ball that he'll come back for training camp with a legitimate shot to compete for the starting job, at least in the early going..."

Flacco remains the most-obvious and logical candidate to start for the Browns Week 1. However, it would obviously behoove them for one of their younger quarterbacks to take control and start building their career as a starter as soon as possible.

As for the Panthers, it would come as a big surprise if Bryce Young sees any preseason action given how much depends on his health. Andy Dalton should see some limited action but most of the work will be done by Jack Plummer and undrafted rookie Ethan Garbers.

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