You could see it in the way Dillon Gabriel moved through spring practices—like he’d been running the Browns‘ offense for years, not weeks. According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the rookie’s quick command of the playbook and crisp execution in 11-on-11s didn’t just impress coaches; it quietly nudged him ahead of Shedeur Sanders before anyone realized a race had even started.
“Thanks to his quick grasp of the terminology and playbook, Gabriel worked with the starters at his times during OTAs and minicamp, and also received his share of 11-on-11s. Sanders didn’t get as many of those high-level reps in those sessions,” Cabot pointed out. Still, every practice rep and every completion only piled up one great question: Is this edge over Sanders anything more than an early mirage? Gabriel’s college résumé and spring performance suggest he’s wired to win jobs, but this isn’t Eugene or Norman anymore.
This is a locker room with Joe Flacco’s ring and Kenny Pickett’s desire to win the starting job. And as the camp looms, the questions will arise: Is this enough for Gabriel to convince everyone that he’s ready to be QB1? It’s highly doubtful. Nick Collins of 92.3 The Fan believes that Gabriel is just a backup quarterback. Not just in his rookie season, he predicted it for the next three years.
“I don’t think he’s a starting quarterback and I understand the the mantras or the the the ideas on how you handle quarterbacks in the middle round of the draft have changed,” Collins said. “If you think he’s a seventh-rounder, it’s okay to draft him in the third. That’s not where I’m at. No, I think if you’re drafting a when when you have other players around them like and I continue to do it. Charles Grant, offensive lineman out of William & Mary, who I think three years from now, we’re going to be saying, ‘why the hell do we draft Dillon Gabriel, who’s either a backup or no longer on the roster? I’m not saying I’m perfect. I could be wrong on that, but that’s how I think we’re going to see this in three years.”
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Rookie Minicamp May 10, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel 5 throws a pass during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250510_kab_bk4_045
The Raiders picked Grant in the third round of the draft with the 99th overall pick. Meanwhile, the Browns saw an opportunity to pick a quarterback at 94th overall, and they picked Gabriel even though Shedeur Sanders was still available (eventually picked in the fifth round). The reasons seem palpable: Gabriel comes with a six-year college experience, a track record of 46-17, and over 18,500 yards across six seasons.
But even that isn’t enough for Nick Collins to view Gabriel as a legitimate starting quarterback. Ever since the draft, the rookie has proved to be a winning quarterback. He had the most completions during the OTAs and minicamps. Gabriel went 48-of-83, racked up eight touchdowns (second-most, only behind Shedeur), with no picks. But considering the fact that the Browns are unlikely to enter the regular season with four quarterbacks, uncertainty looms over his future with the Browns.
Sure, many believe that Cleveland is unlikely to trade their rookies, but then again, we’re discussing a quarterback room that has a couple of vets whose résumé speaks volumes and a fifth-round pick who not only outperformed the field in spring reps but also turned into a constant fixture in the headlines. You could find optimism around Dillon Gabriel ahead of his rookie season.
However, it’s not all glitter and touchdown for the former Oregon Ducks signal-caller. The NFL insider, like Nick Collins, observed that the 24-year-old quarterback won’t be a starting quarterback in his rookie season. Will he? Won’t he? That remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: NFL analysts have weighed in, and Shedeur Sanders isn’t anywhere near the top of their list to start.
Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel are ahead of Shedeur Sanders in the QB1 race
The NFL analysts are predicting whether the Browns will start with Flacco, Gabriel, or Pickett. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders is somehow off everyone’s list to lead the Browns’ offense in the 2025 season. Recently, Tommy Tran, Danny Kanell, and Mike Renner discussed the Browns’ quarterback room. When asked who they think will be the Browns’ QB1 in week 1, Kanell came on board with veteran Flacco.
“I’m going to go with the seasoned veteran of Joe Flacco,” he said. “The one-time elite Joe Flacco, the 40-year-old Joe Flacco. I’m going to say he has the edge because the tendency for head coaches to normally go to is the guy that you feel the safest with, especially in a year when you feel like you need to kind of get things started on the right track.” The Browns signed Flacco on a one-year deal after he led them in the playoffs a couple of years back.
Former NFL QB Ryan Fitzpatrick pointed out that Flacco probably has been happier in Cleveland than in his previous stops in the NFL. Plus, he brings Super Bowl experience. No wonder the NFL analysts are on board with Flacco as their QB1. But not Mike Renner. Renner disagreed with Flacco as the QB1 and claimed that Dillon Gabriel will be the starter for week 1.
“I generally agree with the reasoning there, but I just disagree that Joe Flacco at this point in his career is the safe bet. I mean, he threw seven picks in six starts a year ago. He did not look like a starting caliber quarterback anymore. He’s now over 40 years old. I’m going with Dillon Gabriel.”
He went on and pointed out Gabriel’s six years of college football experience, “The guy is experienced, the most experienced quarterback to ever hit the NFL. More starts in college football than anyone in college football history. I do just think his game is ready for the NFL, even if his ceiling may not be that high.” The rookie managed to grab the media’s attention during the OTAs and minicamp.
Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders turned heads, no argument there. But taken all together, the road to starting quarterback is getting tough for Sanders. That said, the QB1 position in Cleveland is still a mystery.
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