Shedeur Sanders is on the verge of becoming the 42nd different starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns since 1999 after taking over for fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, sidelined by a concussion.
Typically, NFL teams aren’t forced to start two different draft picks at quarterback in the same season, but here we are with the Browns. So, we’ll look at some of what was written before the regular season to give us a better idea of what to expect from the Browns offense with the quarterback switch.
Before the 2025 NFL Draft, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso wrote this about Gabriel: “Gabriel's arm is not atrocious. By NFL standards, it'll be average on a good day, and slightly below-average on a bad one. There aren't many times on film when he displayed the ability to really drive a ball through a closing window or stretch a defense vertically more than 25 yards.”
On the same media outlet, Dave Richard had this to say about Sanders: “Only threw with good velocity on shorter throws -- his longer passes tended to have a little too much air under them and not enough zip. Far-side throws, including screens, were ripe for cornerbacks to jump the route and pick them off.”
Right after the draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. handed the Browns an A+ for their haul, due in part because they got Sanders in the fifth round.
“He was my No. 5 overall prospect in the class and clear QB1,” wrote Kiper at the time. “He brings excellent accuracy, completing 74% of his throws last season. He brings toughness in the pocket. I think he will be an outstanding pro QB, and I believe we will look back on this pick in a few years and question what the rest of the NFL was doing.”
Kiper also lauded the two quarterback approach by the Browns, stating, “I like [Gabriel] as a sleeper, though I was skeptical when the Browns made the pick. Going with 40-year-old Joe Flacco, twice-traded Kenny Pickett and Gabriel isn't in anyone's best interest. But pairing Sanders and Gabriel gives the Browns options as they try to sort through the post-[Deshaun] Watson era. Gabriel throws with terrific ball placement and makes quick, smart decisions with the football.”
At Bleacher Report, staff wrote post-draft that: “Gabriel is a physically limited quarterback. His arm talent/strength are average at best.”
B/R also had this to say about Sanders: “Improving route anticipation, tends to wait for his WR to break and look for the ball before throwing.”
Before the season started, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback himself, expressed his point of view on “NFL Live” regarding Gabriel: “So the tape from week two of the preseason or week three of the preseason was very good. I think he plays really fast, he moves in the pocket very efficiently. And the one thing that maybe was unexpected was the arm strength was pretty significant.”
What’s really interesting in looking back at all these opinions is how so many observers thought Gabriel had the stronger arm between them. He’s completing just 59.2 percent of his throws, which was supposed to be a strength in his game, and has an average of 5.1 yards per attempt, the worst in the NFL by almost a full yard.
If Sanders was said to have a weaker arm than Gabriel, what can Cleveland expect now?
Well, Gabriel’s woes aren’t all tied to arm strength. Much of his miscues have been a product of not being able to make the right read, not processing information fast enough, and an evident loss of confidence after starting his career with a 1-5 record as a starter.
This is where Sanders can make a difference, even if physically, he might share some of the same limitations as Gabriel in terms of attacking defenses.