When the Cleveland Browns selected former Oregon standout quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round at No. 94 overall, most of the NFL was shocked.
Gabriel was not expected to be picked until the sixth or seventh round. With other better quarterbacks available still, the selection was an absolute surprise.
However, the Browns clearly liked what they saw in Gabriel. They drafted him to have a chance to be their long-term franchise quarterback. However, things aren’t off to a great start, according to one reporter covering the team.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic did not hold back when talking about Gabriel and how he has looked so far in his short time in Cleveland.
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In a new appearance, Jackson spoke out with very harsh words about the young quarterback.
“Dillon Gabriel does not look like an NFL quarterback to me, like, 0%, so I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Jackson said.
“They fell in love with [his] intangibles. Gabriel was fairly impressive at the Senior Bowl. Andrew Berry and [Kevin Stefanski] were on the sideline watching every throw. I just don’t think anybody, any other team, was taking him in the Top 100 or probably the Top 150. If I’m wrong and the Cleveland Browns have their quarterback, that’d be great. But if it’s Dillon Gabriel, I would be beyond shocked.”
Gabriel put together a strong 2024 college football season with the Ducks. He led his team to the Rose Bowl, where they ultimately lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Throughout the course of the year, he completed 72.9 percent of his pass attempts for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also picked up 149 yards and scored seven more touchdowns on the ground.
Entering training camp and preseason action, Gabriel will be fighting for a spot on the roster and for playing time. The Browns currently have five quarterbacks on their roster.
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Outside of Gabriel, they have Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, and Deshaun Watson. While Watson is not expected to play for Cleveland in 2025, the other three players are all more than capable of earning playing time.
This report does not bode well for Gabriel. If he’s already struggling that badly, things could get much worse when the next stage arrives.
Hopefully, he’s able to bounce back from his rough start and begin showing the aspects of his game that made the Browns take him in the third round.
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