The Cleveland Browns drew plenty of praise for most of their draft selections.
However, not many people understood the reasoning behind the Dillon Gabriel pick.
It wasn’t only that he wasn’t projected to be taken that high, but the fact that they took him over Shedeur Sanders turned some heads.
Then, it only became more difficult to explain when they got Sanders a couple of rounds later.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Colin Cowherd claimed that Gabriel was a reach in the third round, adding that he doesn’t even think of him as an NFL quarterback.
“I believe Dillon Gabriel was a reach. I don’t think he is an NFL QB of note. I think Shedeur’s gonna win the job,” Cowherd said.
🔥 #12 Shedeur Sanders. Browns QB1
"I believe Dillon Gabriel was a reach. I don't think he is an NFL QB of note. I think Shedeur's gonna win the job"
📽️ @TheHerd https://t.co/MRgn4zdSDh pic.twitter.com/CJZx62JrBN
— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) May 20, 2025
Cowherd stated that even though he didn’t think Sanders was great, he was at least accurate enough to end up winning the starting quarterback battle in Northeast Ohio.
That should be the logical decision, given that Sanders was wrongfully projected to be a top-ten selection for most of the pre-draft process.
And while clearly, all 32 NFL teams didn’t feel that way, his tape, while unimpressive, is still significantly better than Gabriel’s.
Gabriel was projected to be a backup, and some teams didn’t even have him on their big boards.
Granted, we’ve seen players prove the doubters wrong multiple times in the past, and he should be given a fair chance to compete.
Nevertheless, judging by the current picture and the Browns’ quarterback room, it seems like Sanders has the highest upside, which speaks volumes about the lack of talent they’ve put together in that unit.
NEXT: Insider Reveals How Browns Will Make 'Fair' QB Competition
