In Part 1 of our quarterback training camp preview for the Cleveland Browns, we looked at the team’s veteran quarterbacks who are competing for a starting role. In Part 2, we take a look at the team’s two rookies, and that other guy who is still on the roster.
3. Dillon Gabriel - Rookie QB
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 205 lbs | Age: 24
Experience: Rookie | College: Oregon
Cleveland Browns Mandatory Minicamp Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Browns fans were surprised during the draft when the team selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round, perhaps more so because Shedeur Sanders was still on the board (to complicate matters, the team also landed Sanders on Day 3 of the draft).
DBN’s Matt Wilson did a scouting report on Gabriel, highlighting his dual-threat capability, while also pointing out that his skillset seems to fit best in a West Coast, playaction-heavy style of offense. Some don’t believe that teams project Gabriel as a starting quarterback in this league, which begs the question as to why a third-round pick was taken on him. Then again, perhaps the team likes his potential to understand the offense and be a capable backup, something that is certainly needed when you look at the Browns’ slew of quarterback injuries over the past couple of years.
Here is what Dane Brugler of The Athletic said about Gabriel, the accurate lefty:
A one-year starter at Oregon, Gabriel was a productive passer in offensive coordinator Will Stein’s balanced spread scheme (51 percent pass to 49 percent run). After three seasons at UCF and two at Oklahoma, he led the Ducks to a 13-1 record and 2024 Big Ten Championship, winning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting. With six years of college football and 63 starts under his belt, he set the FBS record with 189 total touchdowns (155 passing, 33 rushing, one receiving) and ranks No. 2 all-time in passing yards (18,722).
A point guard-style quarterback, Gabriel is willing to scan from the pocket and deliver accurate balls with a twitchy release, although he is often too willing to bypass tight windows and settle for the checkdown. He isn’t an electric athlete, by any means, but he is very poised and confident and plays with exceptional feel for navigating pressure to create second-chance plays. Overall, Gabriel looks small in the pocket and has some limitations as a downfield thrower, but he is a rhythm passer with the football instincts and mature intangibles to overcome his physical shortcomings. A savvy lefty with a quick release, he has similarities to Tua Tagovailoa — and has a fighting chance to earn a backup role in the NFL.
During minicamp, the Browns gave Gabriel some action with the first-team offense (in split reps). I’m putting Gabriel’s roster odds at 100%, because GM Andrew Berry isn’t going to cut a third-round pick. These odds don’t factor in the potential of a player being traded.
Final Roster Odds: 100%
4. Shedeur Sanders - Rookie QB
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 212 lbs | Age: 23
Experience: Rookie | College: Colorado
Cleveland Browns Mandatory Minicamp Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
The fall of Shedeur Sanders is still fairly wild. There was a time in which some wondered if he could go to the Browns at No. 2 overall. As the draft approached, that seemed less likely, but all eyes were still on when he’d be taken in the first round...or second round...or third round; and as that fall continued, quarterback-needy team after quarterback-needy team kept passing on him. Finally, the Browns drafted him in the fifth round.
Rumors were floated out there that, even though he’s a good guy, that he was too used to being around his dad during all of his football years, that teams were unsure if he’d take well to coaching. That might make a player slip a tad, but not from the first round to the fifth round. Even now, it’s still a bit perplexing. Sure, it’s possible that the media is what hyped him heavily all along and just got it wrong, and that NFL teams truly just thought he was a Day 3 pick all along.
Regardless, even though it made the Browns’ quarterback situation even crazier, I can’t fault the team for selecting him in the fifth round. Early indications are that the top three quarterbacks (Flacco, Pickett, and Gabriel) will get their cracks for reps with the first-team, but the Browns want to make sure Sanders develops and gets acclimated. In minicamp, he was mostly facing the third-team defense, for example.
Accuracy is one of the keys to Sanders’ game. As Jared Mueller points out, high college accuracy has often not translated to a successful NFL career, but Sanders has a lot of potential. Here is what Brugler said about Sanders, who he graded as a second-round pick:
A two-year starter at Colorado, Sanders produced at a high level in offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s RPO-based scheme. After finishing 1-11 in 2022, the Buffs had a combined winning record (13-11) over the past two seasons in games started by Sanders, who set school single-season records for passing yards (4,134), passing touchdowns (37) and total touchdowns (41).
Although not close to the athlete his father was, Sanders is a controlled, polished passer who gets the ball out accurately in structure and when throwing on the move. He is a cool customer, and his high completion percentage reflects his steady heartbeat. However, he benefited from a high volume of screens and checkdowns (just 23.7 percent of his completions the past two seasons were on throws over 10 yards). The chief concern on his college tape is his inconsistent pocket feel, which was highlighted by poor protection — he will climb and maneuver on some plays, then drift or retreat on others, vastly lowering his success rate. Overall, Sanders doesn’t have the physical traits to get away with some of his decisions, but he is a poised, rhythmic passer when he stays true to his skill set, and he shows the necessary touch and confidence of an NFL starter. He fits best in a timing-based offense.
Final Roster Odds: 99%
5. Deshaun Watson - Injured QB
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 223 lbs | Age: 29
Experience: 9 years | College: Clemson
Cleveland Browns Mandatory Minicamp Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images
The Deshaun Watson era in Cleveland is still lingering in the background. Literally. That photo to the right is of Watson at mandatory minicamp. He is trying to return from two Achilles’ tears, and while it’s clear that he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season, he is working out at the team facility and was even throwing to a few of the team’s receivers.
Here is the complicated storyline that Watson presents this year: he’s injured, so it’s not in good faith for the team to ask him to stay away. He has access to all the rehab tools in the facility. The Browns will place him on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at the start of training camp when he can’t pass his physical. Then, he’ll stay on the PUP at the start of the season.
Cleveland probably hopes he can stay on their for the entirety of the season, so that they can recoup some money from his injury in an insurance claim. However, if there’s a point in time where Watson is cleared and can be activated, it kind of negates the Browns’ insurance claim chances, and they’ll have to figure out what they do with him. Is there a chance they actually activate Watson and, dare I say it, have him see action in 2025? Never say never.
Final Roster Odds: N/A - Will begin on PUP
Poll
Which rookie QB will be the first to play a regular season down for Cleveland in 2025?
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Dillon Gabriel
(0 votes)
0%
Shedeur Sanders
(0 votes)
0%
Neither
(0 votes)
0 votes total Vote Now
Poll
Will Deshaun Watson take snaps for Cleveland this season?
0%
Yes
(0 votes)
0%
No
(0 votes)
0 votes total Vote Now