The Cleveland Browns made a clear choice when they took Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
They intentionally passed on the chance to get Shedeur Sanders multiple times.
Then, they put an end to his shocking slide by taking him with the No. 144 selection.
Most fans and analysts had Sanders ahead of Gabriel on their big boards, and that hasn’t changed much after watching both of them in the preseason.
Nevertheless, the Browns have yet to change their depth chart, and at this point, they might not do so.
At least, that’s how John Middlekauff feels.
Talking on “3 & Out,” the analyst predicted that Gabriel would start a game before Sanders, and he believes the fans will lose their minds over that:
“Joe Flacco was always going to start Week 1 for the Cleveland Browns. That’s not the story. The story now is what their quarterback depth chart will look like when the season begins. Dillon Gabriel is going to start a game—assuming both he and Shedeur Sanders are healthy—before Sanders does, and everyone’s going to freak out. This organization chose him ahead of Sanders for that reason. I think this circus is only going to grow,” Middlekauff said.
"Dillon Gabriel's gonna start a game in the regular season before Shedeur Sanders."@JohnMiddlekauff weighs in on the Browns QB circus after naming Joe Flacco the Week 1 starter. pic.twitter.com/7dh6Hh51FC
— 3&OUT with John Middlekauff (@3andout_pod) August 20, 2025
It’s hard to disagree with his logic.
The Browns were reportedly enamored with Gabriel throughout the whole pre-draft process, and the fact that they took him two full rounds earlier than Sanders speaks volumes about their assessment of both players.
Gabriel looked the part in his preseason debut, and even though he missed some time with a hamstring injury, he was still ahead of Sanders in the pecking order.
Barring an injury or a shocking turn of events, that’s going to continue to be the case during the course of the season.
Whether that’s the right call remains to be seen, but the Browns seemed to have a plan and a vision, and they’re simply sticking to it, even if Joe Flacco starts early in the season.
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