The Cleveland Browns will be in the mix for a rookie quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Most people have talked about Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and – more recently – Jalen Milroe.
Nonetheless, Lance Reisland of Cleveland.com believes they should consider Dillon Gabriel instead.
Gabriel, a six-year college player who’s projected to be a fourth-round draft selection, would thrive under Kevin Stefanski’s tutelage, says Reisland:
“Gabriel has had tremendous success within the systems he has run throughout college. In the Browns’ balanced scheme, Gabriel is perfectly suited to run multiple play-action schemes, throwing on the run or from a specific launch point. The multiple formations with multiple personnel groups will also allow Gabriel to use his experience to dissect defenses,” Reisland said.
Dillon Gabriel’s production and numbers speak for themselves, and he did so against all sorts of opposition.
Underrated: Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel looked UNREAL at the Senior Bowl.
Scouts have his NFL comp as a more athletic Tua Tagovailoa. https://t.co/qsjQMJ8JGd pic.twitter.com/fF6Z1TVwom
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 29, 2025
Then again, there are also some concerns.
On one hand, he isn’t especially big or strong, and weighing only 200 pounds, he may find it difficult to cope with the physical demands that come with playing in the NFL.
While he can extend plays with his legs, he’s never been the best at improvising.
Of course, playing within Stefanski’s play-action-heavy system could help him stay in control and not have to overthink, but he might lack that special ‘it’ factor some quarterbacks have.
On the other hand, we’ve seen how players with a lot of college experience might have a smoother transition to the pros.
He’s not particularly young at 24 years old, but we saw teams taking a chance on older players like Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix, and Jayden Daniels last season, and it worked out pretty well for them.
If the Browns can’t find a way to get Milroe late in the first round or early in the second, and they’re not sold on Sanders or Ward, they could and should at least give the Oregon product a look.
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