The Cleveland Browns entered the 2025 NFL Draft with a big need for a quarterback.
Then, after getting an additional first-round selection in 2026 in the Travis Hunter trade, it seemed like they were going to wait until next year to find their franchise quarterback.
Nevertheless, they still needed to add someone to the mix this year, and hopefully, that player would be good enough to possibly become their starter going forward.
Even so, not many people were as high on Dillon Gabriel as the Browns were in using a third-round pick, and once they drafted Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round, that selection of Gabriel was even harder to explain.
When asked about that, insider Tony Grossi claimed that even though the Browns took the Oregon QB higher than most people expected, they really like his game.
More than that, Grossi thinks that Gabriel was a low-risk pick because, in the worst-case scenario, he can be a solid backup to their eventual franchise quarterback.
“Maybe he starts a few games as a rookie and shows he has starting potential. Then he enters 2026 as a potential early-season starter to give the prospective, first-round rookie breathing room. At worst, Gabriel is a backup to the franchise quarterback, and a possible trade chip in his third year. The Browns are going to need backups on rookie contracts going forward because of Deshaun Watson’s future salary cap charges. Backup quarterback is not an unimportant role,” Grossi wrote.
It’s hard to disagree with the importance of having a solid backup quarterback.
The Browns have learned firsthand why having someone who can step up for an injured or underperforming signal-caller can make or break a season.
However, some teams might not draft a backup quarterback as high as the third round, much less a team that hopes he will turn out to be a starting-caliber player.
Also, that still leaves questions about Sanders’ role and what the Browns might do with their two rookie quarterbacks this season.
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