As the Cleveland Browns look ahead to a 2026 quarterback overhaul, questions are swirling around their puzzling decisions during the 2025 NFL Draft, and chief among them is the selection of Dillon Gabriel in the third round.
Gabriel is a former Oklahoma Sooners standout who switched to the Oregon Ducks and by several accounts, wasn’t projected to go early but surprised when he was picked 94th overall.
He is competing in a crowded quarterback room that doesn’t really impress anyone, battling against Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Shedeur Sanders for the honor of filling in for the injured Deshaun Watson in the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Now, with doubts emerging around Sanders‘ development and Gabriel‘s place on the depth chart, former NFL wide receiver Cecil Shorts III is raising new concerns about the team’s direction – and placing the blame squarely on the general manager.
“To me, talent-wise, like he mentioned, Shedeur is way better than Dillon,” Shorts told The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. “Dillon wasn’t on nobody’s list. Let’s call him a spade.
“Nobody was thinking about Dillon Gabriel being drafted in the first three rounds. Nobody. Nobody. It wasn’t on nobody’s list. Nobody was talking about him on TV at all.
“They was the top 10 quarterbacks. He wasn’t in the top 10 court. Like, come on. Let’s be real here.
“Let’s also be honest. Andrew Berry ain’t good at drafting. Let’s call this spade of spade. He ain’t good at drafting, and they ain’t good at developing. So now, to me, like again, this goes back to it. Who says their job is safe?”
Could Gabriel actually be important to Cleveland?
From the outside, the Browns‘ quarterback strategy appears inconsistent. Despite rumors suggesting the team has its sights set on a top-tier quarterback in the 2026 draft, Cleveland still added two rookie QBs this year.
Although, according to an insider named Tony Grossi, Gabriel might not be the long-term solution, but could still play a valuable role in getting the team to their next franchise QB.
“At worst, Gabriel is a backup to the franchise quarterback,” Grossi said. “And a possible trade chip in his third year.
“Keep in mind that Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are on one-year contracts, so they are unlikely to return in 2026.
“Backup quarterback is not an unimportant role.”
Statistically, only 7% of quarterbacks taken in the fifth round go on to become NFL starters so with that in mind, Sanders already faces long odds and that could give Gabriel a notable advantage ahead of the season’s opening game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.
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