Dillon Gabriel

Poll: Who Will Make Most Starts At QB For 2025 Browns?

April 27th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Browns follow the Texans in constructing an extended departure ramp for Deshaun Watson, they have since added four quarterbacks. Each of the players would have a path to starting for a team that saw its highest-paid passer wildly disappoint before suffering two Achilles tears.

As Watson rehabs, the Browns are effectively moving on (though, a monumental dead money hit will loom if that happens in 2026). And the draft brought an unusual outcome. The Browns surprised most by taking Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel late in the third round. Gabriel came off the board 94th, shortly after Jalen Milroe but a full round before Shedeur Sanders. Widely anticipated to go in the first or second rounds, Sanders tumbled to 144th overall. The Browns stopped his skid hours after Andrew Berry had deemed Gabriel a better fit.

Becoming the rare team to select two quarterbacks in the same draft, the Browns added the rookies to a position group housing Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. (Flacco’s return and the ensuing draft moves will cut off a Kirk Cousins-to-Cleveland path.) The former arrived via trade in March, while the latter is back for a second tour of duty in Cleveland. Both veterans, Flacco especially, have extensive starting experience and could serve as placeholders. Though, we do not know yet who the bridge QBs will be setting up just yet.

Carrying the cheapest contract of the bunch, Sanders will undoubtedly bring by far the most attention. The Browns were once connected to potentially drafting the two-year Colorado starter second overall. A historic draft fall then commenced, allowing the team to trade up (via the Seahawks) for the polarizing prospect in the fifth round. Cleveland certainly did not plan to draft Sanders, but the value proved too enticing. A player viewed as a top-35 (or top-five, in Mel Kiper Jr.’s case) overall prospect will begin training for a potential starting role.

QBs chosen in Round 5 or later obviously have a low percentage shot of hitting, and the NFL effectively showed how it viewed Sanders this weekend. Sanders’ draft slide dwarfed Malik Willis‘ from 2022, as it appeared teams deemed Deion Sanders‘ son/pupil not worth the potential distractions he may bring. Shedeur’s attitude during pre-draft visits came up as one of the reasons he fell, and he is not going to a team that has done well at the quarterback position, for the most part, since rebooting in 1999. That said, Sanders could also make the highly unusual trek from fifth-round rookie to starter. Not too much is blocking him, should outside evaluators’ view be accurate (compared to a perception within the league).

The Browns saw Flacco deliver one of the most memorable QB stretches since they reemerged at the turn of the century, having seen the then-38-year-old join the practice squad and serve as a stunningly effective emergency replacement for Watson. Although Flacco earned Comeback Player of the Year acclaim for his five-game run that lifted an injury-plagued Browns offense to the playoffs, he is now 40 and coming off an unremarkable Colts cameo.

Indianapolis had benched Anthony Richardson in hopes Flacco could stabilize the offense, as a potential playoff berth was deemed a priority over Richardson development. After already subbing for an injured Richardson early last year, Flacco could not hold the job as an non-injury fill-in.

Shane Steichen benched Flacco after a three-INT game in Minnesota, and although he did return to replace Richardson late in the season (featuring a 330-yard loss to the Giants — in a game that cost the NFC East team Cam Ward), the Browns stand to have a diminished version of the former Super Bowl MVP compared to their 2023 edition. Still, Flacco has a path to the Week 1 gig as well.

Pickett could also lay claim to the role, but the Browns picking two quarterbacks by Round 5 also could lead him out of town. The former Steelers No. 20 overall pick has now been traded in back-to-back offseasons, with the second sending historically ineffective Browns backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson to Philly. Pickett did not impress in his second Steelers season, wrapping a 24-start tenure with 13 TD passes. Pittsburgh traded Pickett after he did not respond well to the Russell Wilson signing, as the Pitt alum sought a new team. Pickett’s struggles against the Commanders led to a late-season Eagles loss, and he left his lone Jalen Hurts relief start with a rib injury.

One season remains on Pickett’s rookie deal, which calls for a $2.62MM base salary. The Browns would take on that amount in dead money if they were to waive Pickett. That did not appear much of a possibility before the draft, as 2022’s top QB choice arrived before Flacco to at least compete for the starting job. But subsequent events complicate that route. Although, two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski having a crack at Pickett — after embattled OC Matt Canada did not do much with him — at least represents an intriguing wild card here.

The first QB the Browns chose this year will step into the unusual spot of being overshadowed by a rookie in his own position group. Gabriel will come to Ohio having been Cleveland’s preference over Sanders, but he will now have to prove it in a way he may not have before the latter investment. Ranked 148th on Daniel Jeremiah‘s NFL.com big board (128 spots behind Sanders), Gabriel started throughout his college career — at Central Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon.

The Ducks’ Bo Nix successor played in a tougher conference, after Oregon’s Big Ten move, and won the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award. That did not result in draft gurus viewing the 5-foot-11 QB as anything but a Day 3 prospect, but the Browns disagreed and will give him a chance to start.

While one of these QBs could be sent to the practice squad, it would be unlikely if Sanders or Gabriel cleared waivers. Pickett would also need to clear waivers to be stashed. Though, it is now easier to imagine Pickett reaching free agency than one of Cleveland’s two recent QB draftees. This complicated situation will be the runaway lead Browns story moving forward, as the Myles Garrett matter is settled. The team’s QB future was supposed to loom large in the Browns regrouping with Garrett, but if this plan does not work out, Berry also secured an extra 2026 first-round pick by trading out of the Travis Hunter draft slot.

Who will win the offseason competition? And, more importantly, who do you think will end the season as the team’s primary starter? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this swiftly evolving setup in the comments section.

Browns To Give Dillon Gabriel Chance To Start

April 26th, 2025 at 10:36am CST by Sam Robinson

Perhaps the most surprising piece of Shedeur Sanders‘ fall — a tumble that has largely overshadowed the 2025 draft — came late Friday night, when the Browns circled back to their quarterback pick. Rather than Sanders, Cleveland went with Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel.

Ranked 148th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board (128 spots behind Sanders), Gabriel went to the Browns at No. 94. The former Ducks standout also checks in at 5-foot-11. Transferring from Central Florida to Oklahoma to Oregon in a six-year college run, Gabriel impressed the Browns to the point he will be given a chance to start, Kevin Stefanski said (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot).

The Browns went through multiple meetings with Gabriel over the past month, according to The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, who does not envision the undersized prospect making a strong case for the starting role. As it stands, the Browns will send a QB room of Gabriel, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett into their offseason program. Although Deshaun Watson is technically still on the team, it would be borderline shocking if he threw another regular-season pass for the team that burned three first-round picks on him as part of what is likely the worst trade in NFL history.

Unlike No. 40 overall Saints pick Tyler Shough, Gabriel started throughout his lengthy college career. He posted three 30-touchdown pass seasons — one at Central Florida, one at Oklahoma, one at Oregon — and the Browns certainly saw scrutinized 2023 Ducks starter Bo Nix prove many wrong via a strong rookie season. Gabriel stepped into Nix’s place in Eugene and threw 30 TD passes during a season that saw him finish as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Gabriel finished third in the Heisman voting — behind only Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty — but was not labeled as a comparable prospect heading into the draft.

Sanders was — for a while. The Colorado prospect went from being tabbed a potential No. 2 overall option for the Browns to being a fairly safe bet for a top-10 selection to falling out of Round 1 altogether. A tumble out of Round 1 came up as a possibility shortly before the draft, but no one foresaw the high-profile passer falling out of Round 3. The Browns made four picks Friday night, but their Gabriel move almost definitely will send Sanders elsewhere. GM Andrew Berry referred to Sanders as an “impressive young man,” but added (via the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram’s Scott Petrak) that “sometimes fit comes into play.” The Browns both used a “30” visit on Sanders and then worked him out.

As teams certainly appear to be shying away from Sanders due to his attitude and persona, deeming his play insufficient to negate those factors, the Browns did address their quarterback issue. The Steelers still have not. The Giants and Saints also found their younger options, in Jaxson Dart and Shough. The Browns passed on the latter twice to start Round 2, taking Carson Schwesinger and Quinshon Judkins. The Giants viewed the Browns as a threat for Dart, but after the Ole Miss QB went 25th overall, it took until No. 94 for Cleveland to bring a passer in.

The Browns will have a prime 2026 asset to potentially put toward an earlier QB investment, having acquired the Jaguars’ ’26 first-rounder in the Hunter swap. Cleveland’s own 2025 quarterback situation, Flacco’s 2023 form notwithstanding, does not create an enviable QB setup. It is quite possible Cleveland will carry two high picks in 2026, and while it is too early to project that, next year’s draft would be a clear gateway to the Browns finally moving on from Watson with a first-round investment at the position.

Browns Draft QB Dillon Gabriel At No. 94

April 25th, 2025 at 10:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

QB Prospect Notes: Fins, Colts, Saints, Rams

April 2nd, 2025 at 8:59pm CST by Ben Levine

While much of the pre-draft quarterback talk has been focused on teams atop the draft board, there are plenty of additional squad eyeing prospects at the position. Over the past few weeks, the Dolphins, Colts, Saints, and Rams have been among the teams connected to rookie quarterbacks.

As mentioned, the Dolphins have been among the team’s scouting quarterbacks, with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reporting that the team has met with, scouted, or “evaluated” Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord. Jackson passes along a prediction from agent Drew Rosenhaus, who recently opined that the Dolphins will end up taking a QB in the draft.

While the organization may simply be doing their due diligence, it makes sense for the Dolphins to consider the position in the draft. Tua Tagovailoa‘s injury and concussion injury has been well documented, and there will continue to be questions about the starter’s playing future. While Miami brought in Zach Wilson this offseason, the former draft bust likely wouldn’t be the team’s first choice to take over atop the depth chart.

Sticking in the AFC, Colts GM Chris Ballard admitted that his team would take a QB if the situation presented itself. The team is rostering a former fourth-overall pick in Anthony Richardson, and they added former Giants starter Daniel Jones this offseason. Still, the organization has a hole on the depth chart after Sam Ehlinger left in free agency, and they could look for a QB3 via the draft.

“If you think there’s somebody organizationally that you believe in, at any point, I think you pull the trigger,” Ballard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star).

One of the teams that’s considered likeliest to select a QB is in the NFC. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football recently said there’s “something” to the team’s flirtation with many of the non-blue chip prospects. Underhill cites the team’s need for a long-term answer behind Derek Carr, and their pursuit could even lead to them selecting a QB in the first round. Among the players presumably under consideration is Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting that head coach Kellen Moore was in attendance for the school’s pro day.

Finally, the Rams have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for rookie quarterbacks. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic says the team is “open” to drafting a player at the position, although they “won’t reach for one.” As Rodrigue notes, both GM Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay have expressed interest in bringing in a young signal caller to play behind Matthew Stafford.