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

Gabriel was drafted in round 3 and Sanders in round 5. That tells you which way the scales are balanced at least at the beginning.

12:25 mark.

Dillon
I thinks he throws with accuracy, timing, and anticipation
He moves well within the pocket
He has an average to plus arm

Downside - he is short, but only 2 inches shorter than Sanders
He seems to find throwing window in a Russel Wilson-esque manner

His ball moves with a trajectory I have never seem before
It doesn't go out
It doesn't go up then come down
It goes up then goes out then comes down
If that makes any sense

Sanders
I think his accuracy is overrated
High completion % because he throws so many short passes
On longer ones, it seems as if he just throws it up there and Hunter, Horton, and Horn would go get it

Watch Sanders highlights with the play by play audio
You never hear great throw
But instead hear "What a catch"

He has a tendency to drift back and to the right - even when not under pressure
Then when pressured, his tendency us to continue that drift back and to the right rather than stepping up in the pocket
This turns an 8 yard sack into an 18 yard sack

Internet gurus talk about his elite processing skills
I don't see it
He holds the ball too long
This leads to a lot of his sacks

His oline gets criticized for his sacks but his oline was not as bad as it is made out to be
A lot of his sacks were on then - yes
But a lot were on him

Arm strength average/adequate
I think inferior to Gabriel's


JMO comparing the 2 from watching them play

Spot on Jester

Thanks, dawg. I've only seen clips here and there in addition to a game or two. I actually don't have high expectations for either one, but if I had to choose, it would have been Sanders at the forefront. I saw him place some balls very well in stride, somewhat quickly. Of the two, it seemed like Gabriel held the ball longer and/or looked to get out of the pocket quicker. Personally, though, I would rather Gabriel succeed than Sanders, given everything we've witnessed.

I guess we'll see how it plays out.

Honestly, I could see either guy running Stephanski's offense but one trait I have always hated is a Qb retreating constantly from pressure. Gabriel is a smirf qb but he will step up into the pocket. Sanders retreats from pressure constantly. Sanders has tremendous touch, he vmcan just drop it in.Gabriel has some of the best accuracy I have ever seen in the intermediate range with it being on a lazer. I like both a great deal but I just see Russell Wilson with a stronger arm in Gabriel and Sanders is more of a Chad Pennington.

Gabriel starts day 1, he struggles put in Sanders. Either one wows or we go get our qb next year. Last thing I want is an 8 win season with Flacco and check down Charlie and we don't have a clue as to what we havrme in the rookies.

I like Gabriel over SS

I like these comparisons. I was struggling to come up with on for Sanders. Pennington is a good one though I thin Pennington had better pocket presence.

My 2 Gabriel comps felt lazy
One is a weak armed Steve Young
Gabriel's arm is learly not as strong as Young's
But when I watch Gabriel I can't help but think of Young
Is it because he is left handed and wears #8?

The other is Bo Nix who I really liked coming out of the draft last year
Loved Nix's pocket presence under pressure
Is this comp just because they were running the same offense?

I like the Russell Wilson comparison but do you really think Gabriel's arm is stronger?
I could easily be convinced on comparable but stronger than Wilson's doesn't feel right

j/c...

I haven't done a deep dive, but I've seen enough to offer my two cents. Disclaimer being, my two cents is exactly that compared to many on this board.

My first comparison is Baker -- not because he reminds me of him in so many ways, because he reminds me in the most important way -- explaining how a good arm is made better through mechanics. Gabriel, like Baker, creates a lot of torque through his lower body and hips. He does it in an even more concise manner than Baker. Neither will ever flick their wrist and look like Josh Allen. This kid won't have plays where his arm bails him out. When his footwork is good, he maximizes his arm talent through squeaky clean mechanics through his lower and upper body.

An area where I see his size hurt also has to do with his mechanics. He likes to zip that ball right past his ear hole (and damn, what a nice quick motion). When he has pressure in his face he tends to go more over the top to prevent the ball from being batted down. That's where his ball doesn't have the velocity to carry it through to the target as quickly. Perfect example in the vid with Kurt Warner at the 13:10 mark, where he talks about the ball "trailing off". Pressure in his face also eliminates everything I bragged about in the first paragraph as he's often throwing off his back foot. The nice thing is, he seems to see that pressure quickly and eliminate those situations. College and Pros are two different animals in that department though.

What I see immediately: good decision making, a great feel for the pocket, solid athletics. I've seen him throw off platform and still generate necessary torque; including throwing with one foot on the ground and NO feet on the ground.

Where he gets in trouble is when that marriage between the lower body and upper body is off by a tick or when his footwork gets sloppy and the entire process is crap on through the throw. He's good at buying time, flushing out, etc, to put himself in a position where all of these things work in harmony. And honestly, when everything is as sudden as it is with him, that puts you in a great position for 90+% of your throws.

The internal clock that's in every QBs head, that feeling that a QB is playing just a tick faster than everyone else on the field? That's where this kid is damn near elite. When you marry that with good mechanics and a quick delivery, you can be a QB in this league. I'm excited to see this whole thing play out. I would rather not have Sanders in the fold, but I've come to peace with that part of it and am looking forward to the competition.

/.02

Wilson has the better deep ball but I think Gabriel has him on those wide receiver screens and deep slants it's just on a rope. I get the young comparison, it's the movement and running style. It is creepy in how similar their body motion is.

Watched baylor and Nebraska games vs colorado. Sanders should not have been drafted from what i saw in these two games. Compare to Gabriel vs penn st and Michigan. BTW first time Gabriel sees Graham lined up opposite him in practice he may crap his pants, he destroyed that very good Oregon Ol.

Pure beast mode.

LOL

At least this time Gabe will be wearing a red jersey.

Derek = a young Nolan Ryan of NFL QB's

It is creepy
You know how espn does that overlay o 40 runs?
Would love if they did that with Young and Gabriel on in game runs and throws

This is where I am at. But the only question is overcoming the height challenge/issue. There is a lot to like about Gabriel. With SS - I hope he comes hungry and humble and works his touche off. Would not hate him as a backup, there just has to be no drama and distraction otherwise he can get the next bus outta town.

IMO, if Gabriel was 3-4 inches taller and 10 LBs heavier he would have been the 2nd or 3rd rated QB in this draft.

'' The internal clock that's in every QBs head, that feeling that a QB is playing just a tick faster than everyone else on the field? That's where this kid is damn near elite.
When you marry that with good mechanics and a quick delivery, you can be a QB in this league. ''

I knew I forgot something about this kid that I saw in his tape. You said it better than I could have.

I'd say just one inch taller.

I live in southern New England and listen to a couple of different sports talk shows frequently. I was listening yesterday and they mentioned the Dillon Gabriel pick and a comment was made that he'll be nothing more than a career backup. Obviously, that remains to be scene but around here because of Tom Brady and the Pats some of these talk show guys think they're experts. Seems like that's the way it is with all Boston sports fans.

The height is always a question, but Gabe has played big time college football at 3 different schools. It's not like he had Pee Wee O linemen and defenders in front of him. I also don't think being a little short has that big of an impact on his vision. It's not like having Peter Dinklage playing QB.

I'm not worried about it.

Watched some limited tape, about 2.5 hours and think this Gabriels game looks a lot like Baker’s game in the left hand mirror. I’m way more excited to see what he can do that Shedeur. but I hope one or the other pans out so we can use the first we got next year on another bluechip. But I’m fine if we end up going QB in the first next year too. I think Berry handled a bad situation in the best way, even if the picks weren’t all sexy.

I’ve hate watched a fair amount of Duck games over the years since living in quackland. Gabriel was a pain to watch when rooting for a loss. Lol. He’d make throw after throw to Tez, a tiny receiver with a tiny catch radius. Always hitting him in stride and with room to run. He always seemed to be slippery enough to extend plays and make clutch throws. He was a gamer. And I hated him for it. If he can convert his deep college start experience into NFL game speed play, he really can be a thorn in a D’s side.
Time will tell. Coming out of a draft as a Ducks QB, all things equal, I’d take him over Mariota. Herbert’s size and arm would make him my choice, but Gabriel is second as far as Duck QBs go.
Again, he has to make the leap to the NFL, but 60 college starts at big time programs is a good proving ground start.

I like him. Short, but a smart QB with a decent arm, accurate as all get-out, and can win.

WIN

A couple of additional thoughts
Sanders takes a lot of hits but bounces right back up
Dillon has had some injuries inn his college career
Advantage Sanders

Gabriel also played against Ohio State (twice), Penn State, and Michigan
Sanders best opponent was ?Nebraska

In 2023, as a Sooner, Gabriel also beat the third ranked Longhorns.
Sanders toughest team they beat that year was TCU maybe? They got rocked by Oregon, and lost to every ranked team they played.

Phil Simms has a really goid discussion of Gabriel and Sanders on his youtube podcast. Really good

Do you have a link? I went to his youtube podcast and it hasn't been updated since June 2024.

I think you want the link fish posted above.

I love these Kurt Warner analysis videos

[video:youtube]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DvjPeaUW6EVA&ved=2ahUKEwiE94W-gYONAxXzkokEHV9yNh0QwqsBegQIDRAF&usg=AOvVaw3NfqGQlScnnniiey75z7mj[/video]