The Cleveland Browns drafted two of the top quarterbacks in college football, and the way the they already pushing each other could create the best possible scenario for the franchise.
Dillon Gabriel, who led Oregon to an undefeated season and the top seed in the College Football Playoff was a surprise selection at the end of the third round. Shedeur Sanders — widely regarded for months as a first-round pick, or second-rounder at worst — dropped all the way to the No. 144 pick in the fifth round in an unprecedented slide.
Neither man is guaranteed the starting job in 2025, as Cleveland traded for Kenny Pickett and inked Joe Flacco to a one-year deal in free agency. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson lingers on the periphery, rehabilitating a twice-torn Achilles tendon.
Thus far, only Gabriel and Sanders have taken snaps for the Browns as part of rookie minicamp. However, the two have already begun their competition for rookie supremacy.
That battle will mean something, even if Flacco or Pickett ends up starting, as both veterans are on inexpensive one-year deals. The least productive of the two could end up released or on the trade block, while the other is likely to start Week 1 unless Gabriel or Sanders blow the doors off during the preseason.
But whomever has the better preseason between the two rookies has a good chance to earn QB2 honors, and that player has a reasonable chance to start at some point in 2025. Reporters asked Gabriel on Saturday, May 10, what he thought of the Browns selecting Sanders in the NFL draft a couple rounds after him, and his response was brimming with confidence.
“I love it,” he responded.
Shedeur Sanders ‘Sharper’ Than Dillon Gabriel at Browns Rookie Minicamp
It was Sanders who had the better opening day at rookie minicamp, despite the fact that Gabriel got the initial reps under center.
“Yes, it’s just the first day of rookie minicamp — but Shedeur Sanders looked sharper than Dillon Gabriel,” Brad Stainbrook of ESPN Cleveland posted to X. “This is only the beginning. The competition is real, and it’s going to be one of the stories of the season.”
Sanders had a slightly more prolific statistical season than did Gabriel at the collegiate level in 2024, though their competition was varied.
Sanders played in the run-and-gun Big 12, which isn’t exactly known for its defensive prowess. Gabriel played with a considerably more talented group at Oregon when considering the entire roster, though his competition in the Big Ten was fiercer on a week-to-week basis.
Sanders finished the season with 4,134 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 13 games played. Gabriel finished his campaign as a Big Ten champion with 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 14 games played.
Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel Must Beat Out Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett for Browns Starting Job
Precisely how the Browns QB room will shake out is months away from true clarity, though the early consensus is that the job is Flacco’s to lose.
The 40-year-old returns to Cleveland after one season with the Indianapolis Colts, during which he actually won the starting job from second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson for a time mid-season.
Flacco finished the 2024 campaign with eight appearances, including six starts and a 2-4 record. He threw for 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
The year prior, Flacco put up 1,616 passing yards, 13 TDs and 8 INTs with the Browns in five regular-season starts (4-1) and led the team to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. Cleveland lost in the first round to the Houston Texans.
