Dillon Gabriel had a pretty good feeling about the Cleveland Browns ahead of the NFL draft, evident in a video posted on Monday.
![Dillon Gabriel Predicted Browns Drafting Him with Bird Call on Video Before NFL Draft]()
A camera followed Gabriel prior to the draft. He showed off his home state of Hawaii and did a bird call from a scenic view. After, he was asked jokingly what the bird told him about when he’d be selected.
“Cleveland Browns, No. 94,” Gabriel said in a video released to the official NFL Instagram page.
At the time, it seemed far-fetched. Gabriel was projected to be a Day 3 pick and had not been linked to Cleveland. But when the Browns came on the clock in the third round, they drafted Gabriel with pick No. 94 — just as he had predicted.
“Does he know the winning lottery numbers,” one fan said.
“Wait, how did that bird know?” another joked.
Others wondered if the “bird” knew the Browns would draft Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round.
“I wonder how this will play out,” a fan said. “Will be a funny time in Cleveland.”
Browns Interest in Dillon Gabriel Was Under the Radar
The Browns’ interest in Gabriel had gone under the radar with high-profile prospects like Sanders and Jalen Milroe taking up the headlines. But Cleveland did extensive homework on Gabriel.
“We spent a lot of time with Dillon throughout this process, brought him in right after the combine, did obviously the private visit and workouts out in Eugene,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said. “Decorated college career, very accurate, very poised, throws with anticipation, good mobility. We just thought he had a really well-rounded game. And the biggest negative that you can say about him is that he doesn’t have the ideal height. But that’s not something that we felt like showed up in his game or his film at UCF, Oklahoma, and certainly not at Oregon this year.”
Gabriel was the most experienced quarterback in the draft. He began his college career at UCF, completing 554 of 913 passes for 8,037 yards and 70 touchdowns over three seasons.
He transferred to Oklahoma in 2022, adding 6,828 yards and 55 touchdowns on 496 of 751 passing attempts across two seasons. Gabriel finished his collegiate career at Oregon in 2024, completing 326 of 447 passes for 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns. His 155 career passing touchdowns set a new all-time FBS record.
Dillon Gabriel Eager to Compete for Starting QB Job
Gabriel steps into a unique situation with the Browns. There is no clear-cut starter and he’ll compete with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Sanders for the starting gig.
“I’m built for it. You know, I’ve done this all my life. I’ve been playing quarterback from a young age and have stepped into top-tier programs that demand success. I’m built for this,” Gabriel said. “I’m ready for it. It’s the new challenge. And although there’s unknown, and this may be a first time for me in terms of being in the NFL, you know, I think just my ability to adapt in college and be around a team and different teams in that way allows you to be able to adapt quickly and know naturally when you walk into a building, you have to be prepared, you have to earn daily influence from your teammates, and then that allows you to continue to challenge. So for me, pressure is a lot of fun. That’s what you look forward to as a competitor and you run towards it.”
Gabriel and Sanders will both attend the Browns’ rookie minicamp, which kicks off on May 9.
