Is Shedeur Sanders already falling behind in the Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition? The spotlight was firmly on the three-day rookie minicamp, where early evaluations began to take shape between the former Colorado star and fellow 2025 NFL Draft pick Dillon Gabriel. While expectations were high for Sanders, it was Gabriel — the former Oregon standout — who reportedly stood out. According to ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi, Gabriel has the early edge thanks to his sharper mechanics.
"I thought both days Dillon Gabriel looked a little bit better," Grossi said Monday, via ESPN Cleveland. "He throws a tight spiral. He throws a beautiful ball. He's very assertive. He knows the pocket, you can tell that, even though they're not rushing. He just has a pocket presence. Better arm strength than I thought. ... The numbers are the only thing that don't lie. You can say he's short. Yeah, he's 5-foot-11. So, he's short. I thought Gabriel was a little better both days. Doesn't mean Shedeur Sanders is a bust or anything. The other guy just looks better."
The Browns drafted Gabriel two rounds before grabbing Sanders back in April. The two rookie quarterbacks are part of a crowded room that also includes veterans includes Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson.
Gabriel was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in his lone season at Oregon. The former Oklahoma and UCF quarterback threw for more than 18,700 yards in his college career, totaling 155 touchdowns passes with just 32 interceptions. Gabriel also rushed for 1,209 yards and 33 additional touchdowns on the ground. He earned numerous awards this past season, including first-team All-American and Big Ten MVP.
Sanders was among the top upperclassman quarterbacks in college football for the 2024 season. The unanimous Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year picked up numerous first-team All-American selections after his record-breaking senior year. Sanders left Colorado as the NCAA's all-time career leader in completion rate with a 71.8% mark, and he paced all quarterbacks last season with a 74.0% clip.
He completed 353 of his 477 passing attempts for 4,143 yards and 37 touchdowns. Each of those numbers led all Big 12 quarterbacks. He improved upon his metrics from his debut season at Colorado, which was a spectacular individual campaign in its own right. The accomplishments came on the heels of a successful career at Jackson State, in which Sanders dominated FCS competition.
Sanders was asked about his message to critics and doubters this past weekend after his first practice in the NFL.
"Thank you for saying that because my job here isn't to prove people wrong, I'm proving myself right," Sanders said. "I fully believe it. What those people say, that's just their opinions. I don't truly care. They don't really live in my mental space about that type of stuff. It really doesn't do anything for me."
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Brad Crawford contributed to this report.