Cleveland Browns rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel finally made his debut in Saturday’s 22-13 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles and played the entire first half, throwing for 143 yards with a pair of turnovers.
Despite the pick-six and the fumble, there was a lot to like from Gabriel’s debut, and one insider revealed an interesting stat after the game to shed some light on his performance.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi shared a quote from head coach Kevin Stefanski, who praised Gabriel’s ability to succeed on third-down plays in college as a reason why he can be an NFL quarterback, and that ability was on display on Saturday when Gabriel went 6-for-6 for 51 yards with five first-down conversions on third down.
Stefanski: “I think watching those third down plays are really important in the evaluation of quarterbacks.”
“In Gabriel’s preseason debut, he was 6 of 6 (five first downs) for 51 yards, (one sack), a 102.1 passer rating,” Oyefusi wrote.
In May, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was asked to pick out one play from Dillon Gabriel’s college career to show why he can be an NFL quarterback.
Stefanski: “I think watching those third down plays are really important in the evaluation of quarterbacks.”
In Gabriel’s preseason…
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 17, 2025
It surprised a lot of fans around the league when Gabriel was selected in the third round after he was projected to be taken in the sixth or seventh round by many analysts, but the Browns clearly saw something they liked in him.
The poise on third down is one of those things, and it’s a testament to Gabriel’s calmness under pressure and ability to make big plays when the team needs it most.
Gabriel has been in the mix to win the Week 1 starting job, but all signs are pointing to Joe Flacco winning the job out of the gate.
Cleveland’s early-season schedule is brutal, and Flacco has familiarity with Kevin Stefanski’s offense after leading the team to the playoffs in 2023.
It’s likely best for Gabriel’s development if he marinates on the bench for a while, but he certainly showed some intriguing ability against Philly.
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