AFC Notes: Kaleb Johnson, Bengals OL Competition, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

• Per Kelsey Conway, the Bengals’ first offensive line group for offense on air in the practice that was open to the media at OTAs was the following: RT Amarius Mims, RG Lucas Patrick, C Ted Karras, third-round LG Dylan Fairchild and LT Orlando Brown Jr. 
• Patrick and Fairchild, newcomers this offseason, worked ahead of guards Cordell Volson and Cody Ford, both who played significant snaps last year. 

Browns

All eyes will be on the Browns’ quarterback room for one of the most crowded QB competitions the league has seen in a while. Browns HC Kevin Stefanski tried to get ahead of things by downplaying the significance of third-round QB Dillon Gabriel getting the first reps at rookie minicamp ahead of fifth-round QB Shedeur Sanders.

“We’ll work through the (order of the reps),” Stefanski said via the Athletic’s Zac Jackson. “I know this will probably fall on deaf ears, but don’t look too much into it, OK? There are plenty of reps. There’s a lot of time between now and September, so we’ll have a plan. But it’s an all-encompassing evaluation. It’s not something that it’s just based on the practice reps. There’s a lot that goes into it.”

Steelers

Steelers third-round RB Kaleb Johnson already has a point of emphasis that he was working to shore up just a couple of weeks after being drafted. How he does in this area will likely go a long way toward dictating what his role as a rookie will be. 

“Pass blocking that’s my main thing. That’s what I want to work on. I’m going to work on it every day. After practice, just going over there with the bag right there and hitting it with Coach Faulkner. Just learning, and learning from [Jaylen] Warren, too, because he’s one of the best dudes in the league right now. I told him let’s do it. Let’s work after every practice and do it. He’s with it, and I’m down to go,” Johnson said via Penn Live’s Nick Farabaugh. 

• Farabaugh highlights Steelers UDFA TE/FB D.J. Thomas-Jones as an under-the-radar candidate to make the team. The former South Alabama player is a quality blocker and Farabaugh thinks he could unseat Steelers FB Connor Heyward.