Browns QB Battle Is Rookie’s to Lose: Report

Getty Browns rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

The Cleveland Browns have their unquestioned starter in Deshaun Watson, but further down on the depth chart, there will be a battle for who sticks around between rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kellen Mond.

The Browns selected Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round. The former UCLA quarterback is an intriguing prospect because of his athleticism and wealth of starting experience. Thompson-Robinson started 48 games with the Bruins. In his final year, he completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 3,169 yards and 27 touchdowns, adding 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Thompson-Robinson is UCLA’s all-time passing leader in total offensive yards (12,537), completions (860), touchdown passes (88) and total touchdowns (116).

The Browns picked up Mond off waivers at the end of last season after he was let go by the Minnesota Vikings. He was a third-round pick in 2021. Mond hung around on the Browns roster last season but was not active for a game, with Watson, Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs ahead of him on the depth chart.

This year, Mond could be the odd man out as the Browns sort out their quarterback situation. Barring injury, Dobbs will be back the backup to Watson and the third quarterback spot is Thompson-Robinson’s to lose in the preseason, per Terry Pluto of cleveland.com

“With how teams handle the preseason games with starting QBs rarely on the field, the battle between DTR and Mond will be interesting. I heard the No. 3 job is the rookie’s to lose,” Pluto wrote on May 8.

Browns Want Thompson-Robinson to Grow Into Backup Role

The selection of Thompson-Robinson was an intriguing one and the hope from the Browns is that he could eventually grow into a cheap, viable backup to Watson. Cleveland has splurged on expensive backups in the past like Case Keenum and Brissett but will be under a budget crunch going forward with some hefty contracts kicking in. Watson’s cap hit $19 million next season but rises to $64 million from 2024-26.

Analysis of the Thompson-Robinson pick was split but The Athletic’s Dane Brugler believes with the proper development, he could stick around.

“With his live, accurate arm, the ball spins clean off his hand. His dual threat skills allow him to create off-schedule plays,” Brugler wrote after the draft. “Thompson-Robinson handled quite a bit in Kelly’s offense, but he is still prone to youthful mistakes, especially when things get hectic. Overall, Thompson-Robinson plays panicked at times and must take better care of the football. But he has an NFL-quality arm with the toughness and ability to create that will appeal to pro teams. His veteran presence will help him compete for a backup role very early in his NFL career.”

Dorian Thompson-Robinson Excited to Work With Deshaun Watson

Thompson-Robinson will get a good on-field mentor in Watson, who led the league in passing in 2020 and has made a trio of Pro Bowls. The two met while Thompson-Robinson was at UCLA and now he’ll share a QB room with Watson.

“Deshaun is a very unique and special player in his own right. I think I do have some very similar traits and some special talents of my own,” Thompson-Robinson said after being selected. “I think the one thing that me and Deshaun really have in common is how we play the game from the neck up. He’s a real smart dude, really knows how to study a playbook and break it down. He’s like a coach on the field and I try to come with the same approach, so I think that’s kind of where we’re similar.”

There will also be some familiar faces for Thompson-Robinson in Cleveland. Cedric Tillman — the Browns’ third-round pick — was a high school teammate of DTR. And running back Demetric Felton was his teammate at UCLA.