BEREA, Ohio — Dillon Gabriel knows he’s got a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips — or rather, in his position room.
The Browns rookie QB, who Cleveland drafted in the third round, is one of four quarterbacks duking it out for the starting job.
The others are Kenny Pickett, who is about to enter his fourth season; Joe Flacco, who is about to enter his 18th season; and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders. Deshaun Watson has also been present, although not on the field, as he continues to recover from re-rupturing his Achilles.
“Just a diverse room,” Gabriel said on Tuesday following the first day of mandatory minicamp. “Diversity in experience, and you just appreciate those guys. I think what we’ve done as a room really well is the inability to dwell on the past. We’re just extremely present.”
Gabriel’s assessment of the room’s diverse experiences is accurate.
While he and Sanders are still getting used to the NFL basics, there are few who have been around as long as Flacco, the former Super Bowl MVP, who has played over 1,000 postseason snaps.
And Pickett may only be about to enter year four, but he now also has a Super Bowl ring from serving as Jalen Hurts’ backup in Philadelphia last season, after spending the first two years of his career with the Steelers.
“I think there’s a lot of juice in the squeeze,” Gabriel said. “But you got to ask the right questions and that’s how I try to approach every single day.”
So what are the right questions, in Gabriel’s mind?
Cleveland Browns' veteran minicamp, June 10, 2025
To hear him describe it, it’s almost like a quarterback TED Talk.
“I would just say when we talk through a certain concept, couldn’t give you the name, but if you think conceptually about a play, truly, the intent of the play could change just based on how you think of it,” Gabriel said. “And we had a play this offseason of, maybe if it’s man or zone, you play it this way or you see it this way. But footwork, your eyes starting somewhere, it could change the whole play. So appreciate Joe and Kenny for their perspective on that.”
And it’s not just limited to Flacco and Pickett.
Gabriel said Watson has continued to be a valuable resource for him in the meeting room.
“When we’re talking through concepts, I think it’s super cool that we do have five guys in the room that kind of can speak to their own experience and even Deshaun this morning, talking through a concept and kind of how he sees it in the red (zone) area,” Gabriel said. “And I even go back, it can change the play in a big way, just how you think of it.”
It’s also been about Gabriel learning what he can from the other side of the ball, too.
In minicamp and OTAs there’s no pads, no real hitting. It’s difficult to glean much in the trenches or get a true feel for the pass rush.
But with Myles Garrett on the other side, it’s still a good measuring stick for rookie QBs when it comes to NFL edge rushers.
Gabriel got a taste of it during 11-on-11s Tuesday, when he took some first team reps. On one throw intended for rookie back Quinshon Judkins, Garrett broke through and had to pull up to stop himself from ramming into the rookie QB.
“He’s running the offense pretty well,” Garrett said. “His eyes got pretty big when I got free and I was face up on him. But all of them look pretty calm, just going through their checks, going through their calls, making the plays they need to make, not doing too much right now and they’ll have time to continue to display their talents and it’s just one day at a time.”
Gabriel said a version of a sentiment that just about every new QB who has walked through the doors here since 2017 has said at some point or another.
“Very happy he’s on our team,” Gabriel said. “But also just as competitor, that’s what you look forward to. Playing against the best and him being able to be out here today and us compete, that’s huge. And getting everyone back together.”
It all speaks to Gabriel’s larger approach, not just in attempting to win the starting job, but to football and even life in general.
He’s trying to be the best student he can be.
“I’m not going to walk into a situation not knowing what I’m walking into, so I like to know a little bit about my teammates,” Gabriel said. And I think just in general, if you approach the game as a student, you learn every single day and you improve every single day. So that’s just how I’ve been.”
The real learning is only beginning.
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