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
I believe…This has been the sanders plan the whole time.
You could be right, despite him losing a ton of money. He could also challenge college football and try to play another season … away from Coach Dad.
I don’t think money is a concern for him though. He could definitely try and go back to college assuming he hasn’t hired an agent.
CFL baby!
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
Yeah but short QBs have to have some kind of “super power”. Kyler has soeed and a very good arm. Kyler’s arm is easy top 10. I like Gabriel. I think he’s “super power” is his smarts. He knows where to go with the ball and rather quickly. I see him as a longtime NFL backup. That’s not a knock. Every team needs a backup. I just don’t see him as a week in week out starter all season. But if your starter is out for a month. Dillion can get you 2-2.
You know who else was short and played for Cleveland?
Brian Sipe. He did pretty good for them.
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
Clearly you’ve never actually watched Gabriel play.
Will Howard is going to be that guy in the QB room that just learns and likely becomes a coach. Comp Kellen Moore.
Will Howard is awful. His scouting reports list him as a career 3rd QB more likely to convert to TE in the NFL
I’ve been wondering if I’ve been going crazy because he kind of sucked outside of their playoff run every time I watched Ohio State. These draft pundits have been talking him up like he’s got next.
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.
DTR was drafted due to his style of play was similar to Watson and everything was gear towards a simplified offensive for Watson. Stefanski took us to the playoffs with PJ Walker and Joe Flacco as our QB’S and Mayfield as well. Mayfield was an immature kid that wasn’t open to being coached. Took him getting benched in Carolina and a Rams 3rd string before he grew up and moved on to Tampa.Baker has acknowledged this!
Now that Stefanski gets to run his style of offense with Pickett and now Gabriel, watch out.
Ps Kurt Cousins had his best season when Stefanski was his OC
When he was OC
Not head coach
And you’re talking about an established veteran QB much like Joe Flacco. You just proved my point literally. Ty. Stefanski can win with established veteran QBs. He can’t develop them to save his life. Stefanski began working closely with QBs in Minnesota from 2017-2020. Needed a veteran cousins. Wasn’t given a guy to develop then. Probably cause he couldn’t.
Norv Turner was a great OC
Terrible head coach
Wade Phillips was a great DC
Terrible coach
Dillon Gabriel played for a real college football team in a real conference and wasn’t handed the job because of who his dad was. He earned it. He didn’t have the top WR on the roster this year like Sanders did. He played through adversity and grit and will compete for a job in the NFL. Sanders is nothing more than an entitled, big mouth, overrated, egotistical, and bad decision maker misguided piece of #%@& …. Future college QB prospects that are not gamechangers / no brainer / top 5 picks should learn from him. In that they should play in the college all star games, go to the combine and show your skills, put the work in, be humble, be great on the field, keep your mouth shut, keep your parents out of the limelight, and lastly don’t act all ghetto in the pre draft process by wearing $ sign gang type clothing, wearing lots of jewelry, and looking entitled. No employer wants to see that garbage in the pre employment process ….
Yes, the nfl is all about character lol (not saying that some of what you said is t true)
Today we shall see if Sanders is drafted or if he has to seek a free agent deal. The kid is talented for sure, but his pre draft interviews and his lack of working out at the combine and Senior or East West games plus his attitude this whole 2 days of the draft…sadly it might cost him an NFL career…I still think Vegas selects him with their last picks
As I mentioned earlier, I think that has been the sanders plan the whole time. He gets to pick where he plays essentially as an UDFA. Only the raiders or Steelers need a qb still so I could see one of them pulling the trigger today much to the chagrin of the sanders plan.
That UFDA money hardly compares to a draft pick, especially 1st or second.
Even if he was drafted, he could refuse to report and become a free agent. Not sure if he could wait and be drafted again unless he went back to college football and took NIL money?
If he refused to report, I don’t think he’d be a free agent, would he? I thought he’d have to sit out and go back in the draft the next year because the team who drafted him would hold his rights.
I think your right. We will see but he might play for the Steelers or Raiders. These teams letting him slide want him to suffer humility.
Yeah I agree. Jerry loves chaos too so they could be a mystery third team to grab him. Plus Deion is in his ear I’m sure haha.
Damn homie tell us how you really feel lol
“Cleveland has Deshaun Watson on the books for 2025, but his second Achilles tear leaves him in danger of missing the entire season.” Danger? His absence is a blessing at this point.
As a Browns fan, we cheered that we no longer have to deal with him! Insurance provides cap relief and we can cut him next June ..
Gabriel is a great QB selection and way better then DTR. Pickett, Flacco and now Gabriel make a solid, no nonsense blue collar QB room. Bring your lunch pail and get to work types. Pickett and Gabriel don’t turn the ball over and Flacco is that veteran presence that can step in and play…so glad we didn’t draft Sanders or even Will Howard….
The light is starting to show at the end of the Watson mistake tunnel. I would agree these 3 qbs should get through season, who knows Gabriel might work.
Solid quarterback room? I’m a Browns fan and right now Pittsburgh is the only team with a worse quarterback room in the league
Thought he was better suited for a team that plays indoors
Why??