DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk 2025 NFL Draft Browns select QB Dillon Gabriel

Yuk

WUT?

Not a fan of this pick at all.

I think the pick sucks.

Gabriel was my #1 ranked Qb - yes over Ward
Never thought we would even consider him given his size

Having said that, given the trade to get the extra 1st round pick in 2026, I would have waited on a Qb

I had a chance to watch a bunch of Oregon games.

The Dillon Gabriel is a very good college QB. Hell it was his profession for like 7 years.

That said he throws a good catchable ball and is a smart player.

2025 version of Brian Sipe. Or at least I hope so.

I like the pick.

I think Milroe was plan A, but Gabriel is a timing player. Our O is built on timing. Stefanski doesn't like his QB going off script.

I just don't see the value here at all. To me, Gabriel is a 6th/7th UDFA type. For a team that covets "traits", I just don't see many good ones here.

j/c...

I am tickled to death the Browns did not take Milroe at any point.

Gabriel being drafted over Sanders is hilarious.

Pickett is QB1 for the Browns.

Dane Brugler had Gabriel as QB9 and a 4th round grade. I believe Peen liked Gabriel as a mid-round option.

STRENGTHS:
● Efficient lefty passer with quick-trigger release
● Competes with veteran awareness, both in muddy pockets and in space
● Shows outstanding feel to patiently sort through the rush, elude pressure and buy time
● Foot quickness allows for sudden resets with his base and mechanics
● Keeps eyes downfield and doesn't panic when locating secondary progressions
● Doesn't have a power arm but spins tight, accurate spirals in short to intermediate game
● Excellent touch on deep bucket throws, especially over middle of the field on post routes
● Nifty escapability — will take advantage of free yards
● Intensely competitive; teammates say he brings same infectious energy each day (NFL scout: "The coaches say he is obsessed with
winning.")
● Highly respected teammate; hosted Airbnb bonding retreats for teammates (drives same Chrysler Pacifica van he's had for years, partly
because it has room for his family and teammates)
● Incredible career production; started more games (63) than any other quarterback in FBS history

WEAKNESSES:
● Short stature with smaller hands and maxed-out build
● Deep throws outside numbers often lose life, requiring receivers to slow their strides
● Struggles to add zip — lack of arm strength shows on the move or with limited foot space
● Average anticipation — more of a "see it" decision-maker
● Quick-game and checkdowns helped inflate completion percentage
● Had trouble recognizing underneath defenders, especially in red zone (four of six interceptions in 2024 came in goal-to-go situations)
● Will turn 25 as a rookie
● Missed game against Texas first season at Oklahoma because of concussion (Oct. 2022); missed final 10 games of final season at UCF with
broken left clavicle (Sept. 2021)

SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Oregon, Gabriel was a productive passer in offensive coordinator Will Stein's balanced spread scheme (51
percent pass to 49 percent run). After three seasons at UCF and two at Oklahoma, he led the Ducks to a 13-1 record and 2024 Big Ten
Championship, winning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting. With six years of college football and 63
starts under his belt, he set the FBS record with 189 total touchdowns (155 passing, 33 rushing, one receiving) and ranks No. 2 all-time in passing
yards (18,722).
A point guard-style quarterback, Gabriel is willing to scan from the pocket and deliver accurate balls with a twitchy release, although he is often too
willing to bypass tight windows and settle for the checkdown. He isn't an electric athlete, by any means, but he is very poised and confident and
plays with exceptional feel for navigating pressure to create second-chance plays. Overall, Gabriel looks small in the pocket and has some
limitations as a downfield thrower, but he is a rhythm passer with the football instincts and mature intangibles to overcome his physical
shortcomings. A savvy lefty with a quick release, he has similarities to Tua Tagovailoa — and has a fighting chance to earn a backup role in the
NFL.

GRADE: 4th round

To your point all of his highlights were out of play action.

[social:tweet]https://x.com/jake_burns18/status/1915967513306726894/photo/1[/social]


https://x.com/jake_burns18/status/1915967513306726894

typical Browns QB 5"11

Instead of a 6'4 national Champion



And why in the 3rd round

Stupid imo !

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was announced on Tuesday as the 2024 Big Ten Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and the 2024 Big Ten Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year.

Gabriel was also selected to the All-Big Ten first team by both the league's coaches and the media. He is joined on the first team by offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. in the coaches vote, as well as Conerly, outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei and long snapper Luke Basso in the media vote.

Oregon landed five players on the all-Big Ten second team in the coaches vote, and six in the media vote. Four more Ducks came in on the coaches all-Big Ten third team, and two appeared on the third team as voted on by the media.

UO has 10 players earning all-Big Ten honorable mention in both the coaches vote and the media vote.

Gabriel becomes the sixth Oregon quarterback to be named the conference offensive player of the year, and second in a row after Bo Nix earned the honor in the Pac-12 in 2023. The previous Ducks to be named their conference's offensive player of the year were Marcus Mariota (2014), Dennis Dixon (2007), Joey Harrington (2001) and Akili Smith (1998).

A potential finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Gabriel has been one of the nation's top players in his lone season wtih the Ducks. He is No. 2 nationally in completion percentage (73.5) while ranking eighth in passer rating (165.06), 10th in passing yards (3,275), 11th in completions (275), tied for 12th in total touchdowns (31), 13th in total yards (3,450) and tied for 18th in passing touchdowns (24).

Gabriel has made history in his sixth and final season of college football, becoming the NCAA all-time leader in total touchdowns with 183. He is currently second all-time in career total yards (19,375), passing touchdowns (149) and passing yards (18,140) and seventh in completions (1,325). Gabriel matched Nix last week for the most starts by a quarterback in FBS history with the 61st of his career, and he will break that record this Saturday in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Big Ten Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year
QB Dillon Gabriel

Big Ten Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year
QB Dillon Gabriel

https://goducks.com/news/2024/12/3/...ayer-of-the-year-quarterback-of-the-year

I'm not a fan of the pick. I would have taken Will Howard instead if anyone. Well, welcome aboard Dillon you're a Cleveland Brown now and I wish you the best and will root for you!

I take back what I said.

This pick might end up being brilliant. This guy has some really outstanding mechanics. He makes passes that drop in over the shoilder and hits wr in stride. I don't like his height but he has a LOT better arm than Sanders.

He is humble but well spoken. He is also fiery and has a hunger to win that makes him train like crazy.

I really like this guy now that I know he exists lol!

Do not like this pick. I would not have taken Gabriel as in undrafted free agent.

I take back what I said.

This pick might end up being brilliant. This guy has some really outstanding mechanics. He makes passes that drop in over the shoilder and hits wr in stride. I don't like his height but he has a LOT better arm than Sanders.

He is humble but well spoken. He is also fiery and has a hunger to win that makes him train like crazy.

I really like this guy now that I know he exists lol!

I actually liked Gabriel a lot more than I expected to after I watched the cutups. Late round 3, I'm fine with it. I think the (football) character was a big selling point. And I think the tools are underrated.

In retrospect, I said Brian Sipe, but he does throw better than Sipe or Brees.

The comparison, is cringeworthy. Mayfield.

Gabriel is a 1-2-3, look, let it rip passer. He is as on time as anybody. I actually compare him to Bernie in that regard.

Bernie was a lot taller, but he didn't have a great arm. He did have the ability to be on time. And in the end that is what you need. Be on time.

Just watch some of Gabriels tape. He throws a nice ball, has a decent arm, and is on time. The guy is dropping dimes or putting it in the widow all over his tape.

Add in he is a little guy playing in a big mans game. When a guy can do that, he gains cred throughout the team. Players rally around a guy like that.

I won't rule him out. He reminds me of Doug Flutie. Players who can inspire their teammates should never be ruled out.

Like the player but don't like the pick. I don't see him as anything but a really good backup and there were players still on the board who I thought had talent enough to be starters in this league IE: the center Wilson from Georgia and the safety Watts from Notre Dame who went in the next 2 picks.

I get the pick. Either he lights it up coming out of nowhere or we go as planned and put all our chips in next year for (insert franchise QB here). If he somehow makes a starting role and blows the doors off, good for him and all of us.

I hope that happens actually.

Thinking the Browns really reached here. They could have went BPA and picked him up in the later rounds. I doubt anybody was beating down the doors to draft him.

Even though I understand the pick, from a draft perspective Howard would have been my selection.

Looking at some highlights, at 6'3" this guy is maybe a 1st round pick. Maybe top 5. He has some great throws and accuracy - he stands in the pocket and makes progressions. Has great touch on throws. Loads to like.

At just under 5' 11" - it's a massive gamble. Hopefully he pays off. Not entirely sure burning a top 100 pick on him makes a ton of sense. If we have a top 3-4-5 pick next year and there is a highly rated QB available - if Manning comes out and we can trade for the top pick to get him (assuming he pans out as expected) .... why would you also need to have traded up for to 94 in the 2025 draft to get him? Guess we will see.

Dude checks a lot of the boxes -- just not the top box. He likely can't reach it (wah-wah-waaaah).

I like this pick better than Kizer at 52. One of the main reasons is that I think we drafted our future backup. That's not a bad floor. Backups start 20–25% of the games in any given year (or, if you're backing up Watson, 65% of the games).

So, you have the possibility of lightning in a bottle, whose only "liability" is that he can't stand and throw it 70 yards or through a brick wall. And if he's not flushing out of the pocket, many times he won't see over that wall. Then you have: gadget player / solid long-term backup / great locker room guy / someone that keeps the starter's feet to the fire through ethic and attitude alone.

Maybe there's something in that Hawaiian water, especially when you drink it with your left hand? That said, there were rumors that Miami liked him a lot as a backup to Tua. That could be a large part of the reason he went as high as he did. Part of the Jax swap was losing 22 slots in the 4th, going from top of the round to near the bottom. If there was intel that a few other teams may be interested, this is not so much of a stretch.

Knew the Browns had their eyes on another QB nobody was talking about, but no clue it was Dillon. Color me un-impressed but I hope he proves me wrong.

Spent a lot of time watching film the past 90 minutes, what I realized after all of that

1) Gabriel is a very good QB, I just don't trust the success rate of a 5'11" QB. It is rare and they would have to scheme an entire offense around that height issue. That is unlikely to happen.

2) Tez Johnson, while small in stature himself, is a great WR prospect that if available in the 4th needs to be the pick.

With respect, you don't know that.

I don't agree with many of Berry's picks, and I understand some of the frustration some posters have.

One thing I feel very good about with Berry is he seems to have a very good grasp on how and where to value players. I have the feeling that Gabriel was a 4th round target we wanted, but with some trade maneuvering our 4th rounder isn't until later in the round unlike being at the top of the rounds.

I think that Milroe was the guy we wanted, but he got selected a few picks before, so we just went with our next best QB and took him fearing he would get selected before our selection in the 4th.

And just a general comment..I don't want to hear about Sanders. He was gone through 3 rounds with multiple QB's selected before him. It's evident to me that the NFL folks don't have him rated anywhere near where the "experts" had him rated. There is something that makes all of them not want to invest a high pick on the guy.

Traits Gabriel has- determination (as a UCF grad I saw him get destroyed on sidelines- career over- nope- he wins starter at Oklahoma and Oregon)- he's a WINNER- check the record on W vs L--he gets it DONE, honors the ball- check his TDs vs Interceptions- great comps-----LAST- he ain't a showboat- won't have any off the field stuff with him- no sex scandals, no ME, ME, ME--- JMHO- the Sanders family is getting an education on what the NFL really wants in their lockerrooms. How do you be "Showtime" and humble at same time- which is the real person-- could be hurting Sanders stock BIG TIME.

Think this is where the Miami/Tua thing started:

[quote=And just a general comment..I don't want to hear about Sanders. He was gone through 3 rounds with multiple QB's selected before him. It's evident to me that the NFL folks don't have him rated anywhere near where the "experts" had him rated. There is something that makes all of them not want to invest a high pick on the guy.[/quote]



I couldn't sleep last night so I was watching an after draft Youtube done by, I think Fox Sports (Joel KLatt was one of the talking heads). The mental gyrations these guys were going through to explain the "Sanders phenomena" was pretty ridiculous.

Their opinion seemed to end with saying the NFL collectively wanted to send a message to the Sanders team. They implied that they were so over the top that apparently, the NFL did not want this traveling show duplicated again.

I find that kind of laughable because Kiper had him ranked as #1 QB, and if anyone agreed some team would have dashed in and grabbed him late 3rd. I find it hard to believe that at least one team, maybe not even needing a QB, would have taken a shot.

Regarding Shedeur, I did not watch him much this year, but early Thursday night when they were showing Hunter highlights, several of the passes he caught were thrown off balnce, off his back foot, and were thrown almost as a jump ball. I also noticed DBs just sort of falling down while trying to locate the ball. When seeing those, I recalled one draft writer list as his weakness that a lot of his successful plays would be ints in the NFL.

Anyway, I sure don't know why he fell, but I truly doubt the NFL collectively is black balling him.

I agree. 32 NFL teams passed him over for 3 rounds and some of them really need a QB. That says ALOT!!!!!

To your point, Peen, someone yesterday, don't remember who, said that GMs all agree that players do not slide or drop in the draft. They get picked where the NFL executives figure they will get picked. Where the media thinks a player should be picked is irrelevant.

I guess I don't get this pick..

I was not a fan of Sanders after I "scouted" him

1, he takes too many sacks. Everyone blames his o-line and it wasn't good but it wasn't that bad. Many of his sacks were of his own doing

2, he drifts in the pocket - a large % of the time

3, he frequently turns a 5 yrd saack into a 15 yrd sack

4, his proponents call him an elite processor => then why does he hold the ball so long?

5, Accuracy - his proponents spout out about elite accuracy - I disagree
His completion % is so high because half his passes are shorter than 10 yards past the LOS

Then he just throws it up and Hunter and Horton go get it
Watch his highlights with audio from the announcers- - the vast majority you her something long the lines of "what a great catch"

IMO
TV guys started the Sanders hype
Now that they realize how wrong they were, that they had a 5th round talent ranked in the top 5, they are trying to make excuses and in the process are actually blaming the kid

Back to Gabriel

Yesterday I heard that the Browns had looked into him extensively
Top 30 visit
Private workout
Multiple meetings/interviews

I find this interesting because I had not heard about this at all
Local media was even reporting that we only worked out or had top 30 visits with Sander, Dart, Milroe, Ward and met with Shough