BEREA, Ohio -- DeShone Kizer stood at a podium on Aug. 7 and talked about Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson's decision to start Brock Osweiler in the preseason opener.

Kizer said he respected Jackson and would continue working. He spoke with the soft, polite and thoughtful voice he has used since he was drafted.

But then he was asked if he was disappointed.

Kizer paused and looked away for a second.

“I’m a competitor,” he said.

DeShone Kizer has sacked any questions about his attitude during training camp. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

And though the voice inflection hadn’t changed, the look in his eyes had. This was a young quarterback who was going to take the disappointment of not starting and do something about it. He was going to embrace the challenge and go back to work.

Kizer did, and the combination of Osweiler's uninspiring play and Kizer's good work in helping the Browns to 23 points in 55:37 of football has led him to a great chance Saturday night at Tampa Bay, where he will start against the Bucs.

“He has been knocking down everything I put in front of him,” Jackson said this week.

Kizer has earned the chance partly by default; if Osweiler had played well, he’d probably still be starting. But to say it’s only by default is not fair to Kizer, because from the day he was drafted, the rookie has shown the right attitude and approach, which combined with his ability has provided a glimmer of hope at a position that has been the Browns’ quagmire.

Much like Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett, who was the No.1 pick in the 2017 draft, Kizer has been humble and professional. He spent the time to learn the playbook. He practiced calling plays at home because at Notre Dame he never had to call a play. He worked on taking snaps under center, something he didn’t do in South Bend. After training camp practices, he would stay behind and go through progressions and reads while dropping back on his own, and then would run a series of 100-yard sprints. Most days, he was one of the last players off the field.

And he never once complained about where he was in terms of the depth chart. Kizer simply said he trusted Jackson and emphasized the process has been “dead on, straight on.”

“DeShone has done a good job of just walking in here, being very humble and just working through this process,” Jackson said before the Browns-Giants preseason game on Monday.

The attitude is significant, but it becomes more impressive considering the tags Kizer was given before the draft. Words like "arrogant" and "tough to work with" were prevalent.

One NFL front-office exec said before the draft that he liked Kizer better than any other quarterback but worried about the kind of person he was. After meeting with Kizer, he left with one impression: The QB is extremely likable.

Sometimes tags attach themselves in the pre-draft hype, but in Kizer’s case he has been the opposite of the chatter about him. He has shown no arrogance or sense of entitlement but has done things right from the day he was drafted.

Kizer showed an understanding of his position when he was named the starter.

“I obviously know there is a lot of responsibility that comes along with starting a game as far as preparation goes throughout the week and as far as the responsibilities that happen off the field and representing this team the right way,” he said. “As awesome as it is, it just means I have to work harder.”

When he walked off the field Thursday, he was in the middle of a group of receivers who had stayed late with him.

Create or join a league today >>

Cheat Sheet Central >>

It takes more to start in the NFL than attitude, though. Cody Kessler has shown the same kind of attitude that Kizer has in his time in Cleveland, but Kizer is the starter because he combines that attitude with evident ability and intelligence.

Even Browns offensive lineman Joe Thomas, who worried that Kizer would not be ready for the opener, says he sees the talent and arm strength that got Kizer to Notre Dame and got him drafted in the second round. Other teammates have privately talked about the arm strength and Kizer’s ability to make all the throws.

That shows in games. Kizer simply can make throws that past Browns QBs couldn't.

He throws the ball downfield. He throws 20-yard in-routes, and he throws back-shoulder fades 18 to 20 yards down the field. His 22-yard pass on third-and-24 against New Orleans to set up the game-winning TD was impressive, as were his deep throws. Against the Giants, he recognized tight end David Njoku running free on third-and-long and just missed him for what would have been a long touchdown.

“What I see him doing is he gives us the potential to do a lot of different things with our football team,” Jackson said, later adding: “You see things that in my mind gives us a chance on offense to do some dynamic things.”

Kizer also shows the ability to do something that simply can’t be taught: He has the knack to feel the rush, slide in the pocket and avoid it. He has taken sacks, and he will take more (a big concern), but he also has avoided the rush to make completions.

“I think he has a feel and a moxie in the pocket,” Jackson said.

There is a long way to go. Starting a game is different from joining a game after it starts. Going against a first-team defense with Gerald McCoy at tackle is a lot different than going against backups. And starting in the regular season is a giant leap from the preseason, especially when it’s against Pittsburgh (the Browns' season-opening opponent).

Nobody knows if Kizer is truly ready, and nobody will know until the regular season. There will be growing pains. He’s a rookie, and the level of competition is immensely more difficult, as many rookies before Kizer have learned. But Kizer has done nothing to indicate that the Browns made a mistake taking him in the second round or to show he is not ready to stare what’s ahead right in the eye.

“He doesn’t run from it,” Jackson said. “He kind of runs to it."