This might not be a great draft to take a quarterback at second overall, which is exactly where the Cleveland Browns pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There's been a lot of criticisms about this year's quarterback class, including that many don't seem NFL ready, and some will likely need an extra year or two behind a veteran quarterback to develop into a starter.
However, the Browns are in a predicament. They must take a quarterback in this draft because they desperately need depth in the quarterback room. So, they have to evaluate which QBs are likely to actually develop well in head coach Kevin Stefanski's system in 2025 and beyond.
There's been a few quarterbacks turning heads, for better or for worse, in this year's Senior Bowl practices and drills. Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart have drawn critcism and praise for their up and down performances in those drills, which might be leaving Browns brass feeling put off about either as options in the second or third round.
But, there's one quarterback that drew a very interesting comparison from one draft expert and had a great day of drills ahead of the Senior Bowl that hasn't been spoken about much as an option for the Browns in this draft: Dillion Gabriel.
Gabriel has standout Senior Bowl drills ahead of draft
Gabriel, who finished up his final year with Oregon with 3,857 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions, apparently had an excellent day of drills ahead of the Senior Bowl this weekend. Despite his smaller frame tending to be a criticism on his ability to perform well in the NFL, he's been letting the ball fly and impressing scouts for teams this week ahead of the game.
One draft expert, Todd McShay from The Ringer, mentioned on his podcast this week that Gabriel reminded him heavily of Tua Tagovailoa. His "quickness," "processing," and "timing" all impressed McShay about Gabriel's performances in his drills, while he also mentioned he's not a quarterback that teams should expect to see many "vertical" passes from the lefty signal caller.
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McShay's evaluation, which placed Gabriel at "just a slight notch below" Tagovailoa in terms of talent, should really turn the heads of Browns fans trying to figure out how Cleveland will be approaching this draft and where they should be taking a quarterback. Number two overall can mean they're aiming for best player available, or best quarterback available.
However, they have a ton of flexibility on the quarterback front if they have a firm idea of where they're heading in terms of veteran quarterback talent they're looking to snag in free agency or via trade this offseason. If they have a plan for that squared away ahead of the draft, then Gabriel could be a fun choice for the Browns in the second or third round at backup.