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.
