Any successful team has a high level of synergy between the coaching staff and the front office when it comes to the NFL Draft. Adding players who fit the style of play while also satisfying positional needs often leads to a competitive roster.
The Cleveland Browns may have had a significant disconnect during the 2025 NFL Draft when it came to selecting a quarterback. Looking back, it seemed former head coach Kevin Stefanski was eager to add Dillon Gabriel, and Cleveland used a third-round pick to do so.
Later on, with Shedeur Sanders shockingly still on the board, the Browns then chose him in the fifth round. It can be argued that at least one of them was a wasted pick, based on how things played out.
Looking back, Browns legend Hanford Dixon is questioning Cleveland’s judgment on the pick of Gabriel, saying he would not give general manager Andrew Berry a pass if he were the one who made that selection.
“I’m hoping [Dillon Gabriel] wasn’t [Andrew Berry’s] pick because I just don’t see how you can watch all the film on this kid and then still bring this kid in here. I can’t give him the benefit of the doubt on that pick,” Dixon said.
Was Dillon Gabriel a Kevin Stefanski pick?@HanfordDixon29 hopes for AB's sake that it was a Kevin pick as we near the draft. 😂 pic.twitter.com/WufUsg0iak
— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) April 17, 2026
The narrative of Stefanski preferring Gabriel over Sanders, or above any other quarterback on the roster, only became more prominent after the draft. It grew even louder when Gabriel was named the starter after Joe Flacco was benched.
Gabriel likely would have kept the job for the rest of the season had he not entered concussion protocol in Week 11. Sanders made his first NFL start in Week 12 and held on to the role for the remainder of the schedule.
Since then, Stefanski was fired and replaced by Todd Monken. Meanwhile, Berry was retained for at least another season, likely due to his overwhelming success in the rest of the 2025 draft, which produced a rookie class of Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., and Dylan Sampson.
Now, with the 2026 NFL Draft approaching, Monken and Berry must get on the same page so they can make their selections, particularly in the first round at Nos. 6 and 24 overall, with a confident, unified front.
NEXT: Insider Says Browns No. 6 Pick Will Come Down to 2 Prospects
