As the Shedeur Sanders wait has shifted into a historically strange place, the Browns made a quarterback pick. They are taking Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel at No. 94. 
Minutes before this development, Ian Rapoport noted during an appearance on NFL Network Gabriel’s name had come up as a candidate to be selected before Sanders. That is also true of Alabama’s Jalen Milroe as Sanders remains on the board.
The Browns were constantly linked to a rookie addition during the pre-draft process. A Day 1 move, as expected, did not take place, but Friday provided the opportunity to bring in a backup option. Cleveland was reported to be high on Milroe, but with him going to the Seahawks two picks ago that was not an option in the third round. Instead, Gabriel will look to compete for playing time as a Brown.
Cleveland has Deshaun Watson on the books for 2025, but his second Achilles tear leaves him in danger of missing the entire season. The team traded for former first-rounder Kenny Pickett in March, but that move was not deemed the only one the team was eyeing. Even after a Joe Flacco reunion took place, the possibility of adding a rookie at some point remained.
Gabriel has emerged as that rookie. The 24-year-old began his career at UCF, spending three seasons there. That stretch was followed by a pair of campaigns at Oklahoma before 2024’s single year with the Ducks. Gabriel delivered strong numbers (72.9% completion percentage, career-high 3,857 yards, 30:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio) while leading Oregon to the College Football Playoff. Gabriel finished third in Heisman voting.
In spite of those accolades, his age and size (5-11, 205 pounds) led to the expectation a Day 3 selection would be likely. Gabriel has not needed to wait that long, though, and the Browns now have further depth on their QB depth chart.
enjoy being a UDFA shedeur
Wow…crazy no sanders.
This is insane…there must be something going on that even the media is completely unaware of. It has to be that or his name is radioactive. Both beg more questions though.
You can’t be a diva as a backup QB
If all 30 professional football organizations come to the same conclusion, including those with octogenarian owners still making draft decisions(DAL), nepo baby owners with horrible draft records(LV), owners who let adolescent kids make decisions (NYJ), dead men walking at head coach and GM (NYG), the guy who gave Deshaun Watson the worst contract in NFL history (CLE), a team that wants to play the corpse of Aaron Rogers(PIT)…
I’d say it’s not insane at all.
For sure and well said. I have in mind the talent evaluators outside the NFL. Without trying to overstate its meaning or their ability, Sanders is Kipers only player in the top 70 still available, for example. Pick your favorite evaluator and it’s probably fairly similar. Older QBs with worse track records and tape have found homes. It’s still insane or at least basically unprecedented.
It’s nuts that Sanders isn’t off the board yet, but I do think Gabriel has been underrated in this process. We’ve seen so much success for more experienced quarterbacks entering the league, and Gabriel beat Nix’s record for most college starts. He’s not a physical marvel, but he’s been productive and liked the whole way through. I’d rather have him than Shough.
He’s short. What is he, 5′ 10″?
Thereabouts. He’s about the height of the shortest successful quarterbacks in recent years. I’m not saying his physical attributes won’t keep him from stardom, but if we’re realistically looking at backups at this stage, I think he can come in and keep a team competitive in a pinch.
5 11 and he’s taller then Kyler Murray
Gabriel is a better pure passer than Sanders. He’s only falling this far because of his size and age but Gabriel has always been a really good passer. He was amazing in the AAC before he got injured and transferred to Oklahoma.
You can’t force a team to draft somebody they don’t want.
Yet Will Howard is still available?
I know but Dillon is good too
Will Howard isn’t going to impact the NFL in any material way.
He could be a decent backup
Neither will Dillion Gabriel. Waste of a pick
Will Howard is awful. His scouting reports list him as a career 3rd QB more likely to convert to TE in the NFL
Great pick up. Dude won every school he went to
As a Browns fan I love this pick. He fits Stefanski’s system and is likened to a Brock Purdy QB type. He should fit right in with Pickett and Flacco
Yet another QB the browns are going to not develop and ruin their career. Sorry Dillion. To think the best QB they had the last 20 years was over the hill Joe Flacco.
Stefanski likes this pick and he’s not been given an opportunity to draft his type of QB until now. Is he the franchise QB? No but he’s a solid QB that fits in nicely with no drama…
Drafted Dorian Thompson Robinson in the 5th a few years ago and you think he’s gonna turn another mid round pick into a serviceable QB? No lol. He won’t.
Dude couldn’t fix baker
Dude made Deshaun Watson worse
Didn’t develop the only qb he drafted
And Browns haven’t developed a franchise qb since their return.
Dillion Gabriel isn’t fixing any of that.