The Cleveland Browns may have one of the most watched rookie minicamps in recent memory thanks to the direction they took in the 2025 NFL Draft, as they took lightning rod quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round despite taking left-hander Dillon Gabriel in the third round.
The Browns have tried their best to squash the media hype as well as they can, but Sanders' presence means that every snap of rookie minicamp will be analyzed, especially when he has to go up against Gabriel.
No one was doubting Sanders' accuracy and ability to put up numbers as a prospect. which made it all the more puzzling as to why his attitude cost him multiple rounds and millions of dollars. The Browns may have stumbled backward into a quarterback better than Gabriel after watching Sanders light it up in the early stages of the offseason.
A reporter who has seen both of the last two days of Cleveland's minicamp claims that Sanders is not only better than Gabriel, but that it is clear and obvious he is far ahead of the former Ducks star.
Shedeur Sanders outplaying Dillon Gabriel at Browns minicamp
Sanders will need to beat out a player drafted at the same position a few rounds beforehand, which is harkening back to the old Heath Shuler and Gus Frerotte days. Sanders needs to beat out two veterans and a third-rounder just to even sniff some snaps.
What makes this competition even weirder is the fact that Sanders was universally regarded as a better prospect than Gabriel, who was viewed by some as a late Day 3 level quarterback. Will Sanders' talent be enough to outweigh his shocking low draft position and the investment they had in Gabriel?
The Browns will also need to figure out a way to figure out if either of these quarterbacks can play in the pros while trying to balance both Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco as the presumed Week 1 starters. Sanders' talent may eventually win out, but how long will the Browns be willing to put up with everything else?
The Sanders parade is not going to stop. In fact, it may only get louder if the players in front of him (including Gabriel) end up failing to provide much of an impact in terms of turning this team around. All it might take is one bad game or one impulsive Jimmy Haslem call to turn the tide.
