The Cleveland Browns have a good situation brewing in training camp and his name is Dillon Gabriel.

As part of a four-man quarterback competition, the 2025 NFL Draft third-round pick out of Oregon is proving he is not just going to sit back and watch veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders get all the buzz.  The former Oregon Ducks star is making his own waves early in camp.

Early reports have Gabriel leading in snap count at 38 which is an indicator that he has much of a shot as any other quarterback to lead the Browns into the 2025 NFL season.  If he does, it shouldn’t be a surprise given the season he had at Oregon.  Like his predecessor at Oregon, Bo Nix, Gabriel is an older rookie who is coming off an impressive final season in which he threw for 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns.

.@_dillongabriel_ ➡️ @luke_floriea2 pic.twitter.com/YTvmcnhHwQ

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) July 23, 2025

Dillon Gabriel a rookie to watch during training camp and beyond

Although undersized at the position, Gabriel has elite ball placement and a natural leadership ability that will win over teammates.  He doesn’t come in with the buzz of Sanders, but his overall ability to execute as a signal caller marks him as an under-the-radar rookie to watch during training camp, according to Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports who writes:

“Despite being the lower-picked player, Sanders has garnered most of the attention in this looming quarterback slugfest given his stature at the collegiate level at Colorado under his father Deion Sanders. However, let’s not forget that Cleveland chose Gabriel over Sanders when it plucked the Oregon star in the third round. Judging by that decision, it’s not going too far out on a limb to say that the Browns feel Gabriel is a better fit for their organization, and that should be a key note when trying to decipher who’ll be QB1 to begin the season.”

Again, Sanders would provide the headlines, but if the Browns really believed in him, they would’ve taken him with their No. 5 overall pick in the draft.  Instead, the Browns are given the former Colorado star a chance to prove himself along with Gabriel.  Yes, Flacco is the more experienced QB by far, but it does the Browns no good if a 40-year-old quarterback is leading the way.  The hope for Browns fans is that one of these young quarterbacks will emerge as a potential key to the future.  What Sullivan is saying is why not Gabriel?

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With talent around him, Gabriel has proven he can deliver.  With his accuracy and ball placement, the Browns’ rookie could have similar success as Nix did as a rookie with the Broncos.  The Browns can protect him with the run while allowing him to make plays when necessary with his arm until he is comfortable enough to spread it out a bit more as the season moves forward.

While the same could be said for the other 3 quarterbacks in this competition, Gabriel might be in the best position to lead the Browns to a better season than predicted.