BEREA, Ohio -- Cody Kessler passed the eyeball test on Friday and made a good first impression on Hue Jackson, the quarterback whisperer.

"He has some growing to do, but he did some outstanding things today as well,'' Jackson said after the first rookie camp practice.

But Jackson acknowledged that it's too early to tell if the third-round quarterback out of USC will come from behind like he did in college to win the starting quarterback job this season, which for all intents and purposes currently belongs to Robert Griffin III.

"It's too soon to say that he can't,'' said Jackson. "It's too soon to say that he will. At the same time, he's still a young player. You have to earn the right to be in that group. We drafted him. We know he has some ability. You guys have all seen it. The guy can throw the football very accurately to people and throw in tight spaces. He did that extremely well today.''

But completing passes to rookie receivers against other draft picks and undrafted free agents is one thing. Doing so with J.J. Watt bearing down on you is another.

"He has to be able to, again, handle all the different things that come with playing quarterback in the National Football League,'' said Jackson. "It's way too early to tell all of that right now. Is he talented? Yes. I think we all saw that today."

Kessler split the minicamp reps with Mentor native Ricky Stanzi and didn't disappoint. He was accurate, displayed good footwork and looked comfortable both under center and out of the shotgun.

He practiced with confidence and seemed to have a grasp of the offense. He took coaching pointers well from Jackson, who peppered him throughout the hour-long session and in the earlier walk-through that was closed to the media. Jackson fed Kessler with 20 coaching points during a morning walk-through.

"As you guys know, I'm pretty hands on with that position and there is a certain level of play that I expect, whether it is from Cody Kessler to (Josh) McCown to RGIII to whoever,'' said Jackson. "Whoever walks out there under center, there is an expectation that I have on how you play and how you go about your business.''

He didn't go easy on Kessler. The three-year starter played in a pro-style West Coast offense at USC similar to what Jackson runs, and the coach piled it on right away. Kessler did not look bewildered. He ran the uptempo practice with ease and looks ready to hold his own when the veterans join next week during organized team activities.

"I wanted to put him in that mode right away because that is the first time I've ever coached him,'' said Jackson. "They say first impressions are lasting. That's all I wanted to accomplish because I have a high expectation for him as he continues to compete. He has to continue to grow and get better, but at the same time, he is a very eager young man, he wants to do it and he is talented."

Some early QB drills with #Browns Cody Kessler and Ricky Stanzi at rookie minicamp pic.twitter.com/o0dVmv3Cfx — Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 13, 2016

Kessler, who looked significantly bigger than Johnny Manziel even though at 6-1, 215 he's only an inch taller and five pounds heavier, completed passes to top pick Corey Coleman, the three other drafted receivers and rookie tight end Seth DeValve. He also showed some chemistry with his former USC teammate Randall Teller, the Browns' 2015 sixth-round tight end who missed last season with a foot injury.

"With quarterbacks, especially young quarterbacks, it's just being able to work quicker,'' Jackson said. "In the National Football League, things open and close very quickly. He will work on those things, more footwork related. It's not anything else, and I've seen him clean it up in our individual period on to the next period. That told me that he knows how to take information and use it to his advantage. He was able to do that, but you have to do it consistently.''

Jackson noted, however, that Kessler, like the rest of the rookies, will have a rude awakening when the varsity walks through the door for OTAs, and again at next month's full squad minicamp.

"He had a good first day, and our top-of-the-line, as people would say, draft picks showed themselves,'' said Jackson. "That was exciting. On defense, (second-round pick) Emmanuel (Ogbah), watching him, that's a big-looking athlete who has explosion. You're watching (linebacker) Joe Schobert and I could go on and on and on. But again, I'll take it back to our veteran group. They've got to catch those guys. I think the first day showed them exactly where they need to get to be a part of this football team."

Kessler felt an instant connection with Jackson during his pre-draft to Cleveland in March when Jackson broke down his film.

"This is a guy that I know can push me to be great, can push me to the next level and someone that I really want to get a chance to work with and I was fortunate enough to do that,'' Kessler said.

Jackson was pleased to discover that Kessler considered it his best pre-draft meeting.

"I think he understood that my job is to create the environment, this is how I want it, and he was able to feel that,'' Jackson said. "Players really want discipline and structure, and they want it done the right way. Then, I think they kind of fall in.

"Our conversation was a lot about football, things that he could do better. I think he's seen the potential of him growing and getting better being around me, and I saw the potential of a young man who was willing to take the information and learn from it. I'm glad he felt that way. It made me feel good.''

Likewise, Kessler loves that Jackson has such high expectations for him.

"I'm excited,'' Kessler said before practice. "I kind of love that pressure. I love the fact that they believe in me as well and I'm a guy that feels if he gets challenges, he's going to respond. I want to show that they can really trust me, that I'm a guy they can rely on.''

Kessler ranks himself right up there with No. 1 pick Jared Goff, and No. 2 pick Carson Wentz, whom the Browns passed on.

"As a competitor, yeah,'' he said. "Anyone should feel that they want to be the best. That's the mindset you have to have. Those are great quarterbacks, good friends of mine. Those are guys that I'll probably end up competing against at some point in my career, and guys I've played against college and I've gotten to know over the years.

"But as a competitor you want to be obviously the best in the draft class or the best at your position or the best in the NFL and it's a mindset you should strive for. It's a mindset you should feel you can achieve.''

He'll wear his third-round status like a chip on his shoulder "but not to the point where I feel like I have something to prove. It's a whole new chapter. That whole draft process is over with. This is the team I'm on and the only people now that I need to impress are the coaching staff and the front office and my teammates.''

Kessler broke bread with his two main competitors Thursday during an introductory luncheon for the rookies.

"I met Josh and Robert yesterday and got to talk to them,'' he said. "I kind of picked their brains a little bit, sat with them at the table. Just good guys and they really care about the quarterback room and you can tell they care about the position. I'm excited to get to work with them and learn with them and compete with them, guys that have done it in this league for a while.''

But will he really have a chance to compete for the opening day start?

"I don't know,'' he said. "The thing I can control is how I perform. That's up to coach Jackson, but his mindset is that he wants everyone to compete and that's the mindset I'm taking into it. I'm going to compete with these guys, and they're going to push me. Football is a competitive sport. When it comes to this game, if you want something in life you've got to compete for it and you've got to earn it.''

He's off to a good start.