CLEVELAND, Ohio —The Browns quarterback room is full of range.
You have a familiar veteran in Joe Flacco, a new face in Kenny Pickett, though there’s familiarity to his days with the division-rival Steelers. Then the new draftees in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
While Flacco’s seniority and familiarity with Cleveland’s system may help, for the rest, it’s a battle for elbow room.
These three youthful quarterbacks share some things in common, including being drafted in the 2020s.
When entering the NFL, what did their resume look like? How do these three compare to each other when being drafted out of college?
We’ll compare side by side per usual, with a range of statistical categories from passing yards to turnover-worthy passes.
In this case, we’ll go by seniority.
But first, a quick bio about each quarterback.
(These totals only relate to the seasons these QBs were full-time starters.)
Kenny Pickett
Pickett appeared in five seasons at Pittsburgh, and was the full-time starter for the last four (2018-21).
The NCAA granted all athletes who participated in the fall of 2020, an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though he played nine games during the shortened 2020 season, Pickett used that extra year granted to him, and took full advantage of it.
Dillon Gabriel
Gabriel played college ball for three different schools: UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon.
Outside of 2021, Gabriel (2019-24) started the full season in every season.
Originally starting at UCF, his junior season in 2021 should’ve been a bigger breakout year. That was until suffering a broken left clavicle three games into the year.
Shedeur Sanders
The youngest of the group, Sanders did a full four years. And yes, he started all four seasons (2021-24).
His first stop was Jackson State, cleaning up accolades in the SWAC. His last two seasons were spent at Colorado, helping bring the program back to relevancy.
Compare and Contrast
Now that you’re reminded of who these guys were in college, we get to see how they matched up with each other.
Below are a number of statistical and analytical categories, which will best detail how each player did numbers-wise in college.
They range from simply listing their total passing yards as a starter, to turnover-worthy plays — a Pro Football Focus statistic tracking plays in which possession of the ball was nearly lost.
Keep in mind: These totals only relate to the seasons these QBs were full time starters.
Passing yards Totals
Pickett 11,794
Gabriel 17,908
Sanders 14,347
Touchdowns/Interceptions Totals
Pickett 80/31
Gabriel 146/29
Sanders 134/27
Touchdowns/Interceptions under pressure Totals
Pickett 16/11
Gabriel 22/12
Sanders 33/12
Completion percentage/CP under pressure Totals
Pickett 62.6%/43.6%
Gabriel 64.84%/44.1%
Sanders 70.1%/51.2%
Turnover-worthy passes Totals
Pickett 65
Gabriel 43
Sanders 38
Medium passing completions (10-19 yards) Totals
Pickett 180
Gabriel 236
Sanders 220
Deep passing completions (20+ yards) Totals
Pickett 98
Gabriel 152
Sanders 108
Longest time to throw Totals
Pickett 3.06
Gabriel 2.63
Sanders 2.89
Passer rating Totals
Pickett 136.7
Gabriel 160.9
Sanders 158.0
Times sacked/Sacks responsible for Totals
Pickett 116/30
Gabriel 100/31
Sanders 152/42
Rushing first downs Totals
Pickett 101
Gabriel 120
Sanders 72
Fumbles Totals
Pickett 36
Gabriel 28
Sanders 31
Who won the most categories?
Gabriel
Gabriel finished on top in most of the categories, where his gunslinging ability paid off.
Despite starting the most seasons among the three quarterbacks listed, he did record the fewest career fumbles (28).
Sanders
Sanders won fewest turnover-worthy passes (38), and completion percentage/percentage under pressure.
He also had the most touchdowns recorded under pressure (33), and fewest interceptions (27) among the three.
Pickett
The most experienced pro had the fewest interceptions (11) under pressure, and recorded the longest time to throw (3.06).
But didn’t positively win any categories.
Conclusion
These three are just getting started within the quarterback room.
Organized team activities are underway, and Pickett and Gabriel reportedly will take No. 1 and No. 2 team reps. While Flacco and Sanders take the remaining reps.
But if one thing’s for sure, these three young studs showed why they were draftable in college, and we get to see who’s ready for the moment ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com's Browns reporters.