Dillon Gabriel has been a bit of a forgotten man in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition.
The rookie has gotten some reps with the first team, but he is certainly the quarterback who has gotten the least amount of public attention, as many fans immediately forgot about the third-round pick as soon as the Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round.
Analyst Daryl Ruiter recently said he has been harsh on Gabriel for the favorable way the organization is treating him, which is as a QB who could play this year.
“The Browns aren’t treating Dillon Gabriel like a third-round pick. … They’re treating him like a first-round pick,” Ruiter said, via 92.3 The Fan.
📞"Well they aren't treating Dillon Gabriel like a 3rd round pick… they're treating him like a 1st round pick."
🏈 @RuiterWrongFAN in response to @KenCarman saying he can't treat Shedeur Sanders like a regular 5th round pick👀
🔊: https://t.co/SuwmYWWjwW pic.twitter.com/nJm3JgBWjU
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 8, 2025
His criticism stems from the fact that Gabriel has gotten reps with the first-team offense even though he doesn’t look ready, while Sanders is being pegged as a prospect who needs a lot more development and is much further away from contributing.
The point is valid, but on the other side of the coin, the Browns obviously saw something they liked in Gabriel enough to make him a third-round pick, so with that being the case, he needs as many reps as he can get to improve and make an impression.
It’s possible the Browns didn’t see that much potential in Sanders, which is why they are prioritizing Gabriel’s development.
It’s also possible that they don’t want to overwork Joe Flacco in practice, so there are more reps for Gabriel due to Flacco taking it easy and Kenny Pickett being sidelined by a hamstring injury.
The Browns haven’t had enough success with young quarterbacks to earn the benefit of the doubt when it comes to a situation like this, so it’s no surprise that fans and the media have questions about how this competition is being handled.
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