Browns QB Shedeur Sanders didn...

Wednesday was a reminder that Shedeur Sanders still has a long way to go to be a real part of the Cleveland Browns' quarterback battle before the season starts.

He also showed why he's way more interesting than most fourth-string quarterbacks.

Sanders didn't take any first-team reps in Wednesday's workout, which was noted by the Cleveland media. That isn't surprising at all. Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are the veterans presumably at the top of the depth chart. Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel was drafted in the third round, two rounds before Sanders. Sanders was the only quarterback to not take first-team reps, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. There are only so many practice snaps to go around, and that won't change by July and August. That's why Sanders has challenges ahead of him.

However, Sanders seemed to do well with the play he did get. ESPN Cleveland charted the stats for the four quarterbacks in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills, and Sanders completed 9 of 14 passes for three touchdowns and an interception.

It's not normal for the media to keep stats of quarterbacks in helmets and shorts, but the Browns have a four-way quarterback competition and everyone is interested to see what Sanders does in the NFL. He might be the most-watched fifth-round pick and fourth-string quarterback in recent memory.

For those keeping a close eye on Sanders' progress, the Browns posted a highlight of one of his scoring passes, a nice throw to receiver Kaden Davis. Joe Reedy of the Associated Press was at practice and called it "the best throw of the day."

It's unwise to get too excited for any OTA highlights, and Sanders did have an interception too. That came on a tipped pass that went to the middle of the field.

Most rookie fifth-round quarterbacks aren't going to have daily reviews of their highlights and lowlights, but Sanders should be used to it. He was in the spotlight through his college career, and he had to live through a high-profile fall in the NFL Draft in April. Sanders got some praise from offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, but Rees also pointed out that Sanders is a rookie still learning the offense.

“He’s really put in a lot of work, as all those guys are, but you could tell on the mental side of the game and learning the system and calling it and having that rhythm to it, he’s put a lot of work and time and effort into that," Rees said, via the AP. "And then when you do that, the game starts to slow down and you can focus on finding completions. And he’s done a nice job of that as camp’s progressed."

Sanders will have to progress rapidly to move up the depth chart quickly enough to be in the mix to start anytime early in the regular season. It's hard for fourth-string players to move up when they get limited practice reps and maybe a few plays in the fourth quarter of preseason games. Sanders won't be an exception just because he has a recognizable name, though he also has more talent than most players in his position.

For anyone who is closely following Sanders' progress this summer, don't fret. There won't be any lack of attention given to him during Browns practices.