The Opening Drive 5/28: Breaking Down Yesterday's Open OTA Session

Notes and thoughts on all the important clips from a busy day in Berea.

May 28, 2026

∙ Paid

(Photo Courtesy of the Cleveland Browns)

We’re halfway through OTAs and yesterday’s practice gave us a lot to chew on. Let me break down what stood out from Day 5 at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.

The quarterback hierarchy they’re running right now isn’t subtle and is focusing on the top two names. When the 11-on-11 work kicked in, Watson took the field with the first offensive group. In red zone work, Watson connected with Jamari Thrash on a deep ball in the end zone for a touchdown, found Denzel Boston on a comeback, and hit Jerry Jeudy on a back-shoulder ball through traffic for another score. Look — touchdowns in shorts in May don’t move the needle for me, but the Watson reps matter from a health standpoint. He appears to be moving well, and that’s genuinely the most important data point you can take from any Watson practice right now.

In the 7-on-7 session, Sanders took the first set of reps, connecting with Boston and Jeudy. OC Travis Switzer noted the reps have been about as even as you can split them — and that familiarity with the receiver group for each QB is a big part of what they’re building right now. That makes sense. You want these guys chemistry-building in every available rep.

Let’s break down the reps that mattered.

Below you’ll find the latest in the BFB catalog for supporters to dig into. Click the link to become a supporter if you haven’t already, and enjoy all the latest from Browns Film Breakdown.

Latest Podcasts:

Latest Articles:

Latest Film Rooms:

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Browns Film Breakdown to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.