So much for production. So much for experience. So much for winning.
Dillion Gabriel is finding out really quickly that when it comes to being an NFL quarterback, all the things that made him so great in college now matter very little.
As Gabriel has watched his draft stock plummet in the weeks and months leading up to the NFL draft, ESPN’s Ben Solak thinks that’s something that could benefit the Washington Commanders.
Solak thinks the franchise could bring Gabriel in as either an undrafted free agent or a late-round pick to be their emergency third quarterback behind Jayden Daniels and another former Oregon star in Marcus Mariota.
The main knock on Gabriel seems to be that he’s undersized and he’s gotten little boost from setting FBS records for starts (63), touchdown passes (155) and total touchdowns (190).
“Gabriel leaves college as one of the most productive passers in NCAA history, but he does not project as an NFL passer,” Solak wrote. “He’s 5-11 and does not have the movement traits or arm talent of Bryce Young or Kyler Murray. Gabriel has a quick release and fast eyes, so he could work in college-inspired offenses like those in Washington (Kliff Kingsbury) or potentially Las Vegas (Chip Kelly).”
If you’re not sure about the amount of importance teams should put on having a competent emergency third quarterback, please take note: 18 out of 32 NFL teams started multiple quarterbacks during the 2024 regular season and 7 teams started 3 quarterbacks, including the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
One team, the Cleveland Browns, even started 4 quarterbacks.
Gabriel’s College Numbers Tell Different Story
It’s unfortunate the final impression most people got of Gabriel in his legendary college career was his lowest moment, when he and undefeated, No. 1 Oregon were trounced by eventual national champion Ohio State, 41-21, in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Gabriel had a college football odyssey unlike any other. He was a full-time starter for 6 college football seasons at 3 different schools. He played his first 3 seasons at UCF, 2 seasons at Oklahoma and 1 season at Oregon in 2024, when he was named Big Ten Most Valuable Player and a unanimous All-American after he threw for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while also rushing for 7 touchdowns.
Gabriel’s 18,722 career passing yards are second in FBS history behind just Houston’s Case Keenum with 19,217 yards. He was an All-AAC pick at UCF in 2020 and a 2-time All-Big 12 pick at Oklahoma, along with being named the 2022 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year at Oklahoma.
What NFL Draft Experts Have to Say About Gabriel
NFL draft evaluations for Gabriel have been pretty rough, even with ab impressive performance in the Senior Bowl, when one of his throws at practice was clocked at 74.9 mph, breaking the previous record of 62 mph set by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III.
“Gabriel is the shortest quarterback in the 2025 draft class, standing at 5-11,” Sports Illustrated’s Olivia Cleary wrote. “NFL teams may hesitate to draft a short quarterback due to concerns about field vision, pass deflections, durability, and pocket effectiveness.”
