Crowded Browns QB room gets interesting with Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel competing for future spotlight

The Cleveland Browns made headlines in the 2025 NFL Draft, not with a top-tier splash but with a calculated risk in the fifth round — selecting Shedeur Sanders. While it wasn’t a pricey move, it was far from quiet. As has often been the case with Sanders throughout the pre-draft process, the pick turned heads and sparked plenty of questions.

Can Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel thrive in Cleveland's jam-packed quarterback room?

Why Sanders? Why at that position? And perhaps most puzzling — if the Browns truly believed in Sanders' potential, or that of Dillon Gabriel, why draft both, potentially diluting development reps for each?

League insiders and talent evaluators, however, suggest there’s more logic to this move than meets the eye. The Browns, often known for unconventional decisions, have earned a surprising level of support from NFL executives for doubling up on quarterbacks. And while the move comes with inherent risks, the upside — particularly with Sanders — might be too significant to ignore.


“Shedeur Sanders has way more talent, especially for that value,” one NFC executive told Yahoo Sports. “This guy has a chance to end up being their starter, to be honest with you. But it's just a matter of the risk you take. Is he going to be focused on ball only?”

That risk isn’t just a media narrative. Multiple team scouts noted Sanders’ character assessments caused his stock to drop well below his talent level. Despite that, five different evaluators confirmed they rated Sanders higher than Gabriel, often placing Sanders in the second-round range — with some even seeing late first-round potential. Gabriel, by contrast, was more consistently graded as a fifth-round talent, occasionally slipping to the sixth.


While Gabriel boasts slightly better raw statistics — having played 64 games and racked up over 18,700 yards, 155 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions — Sanders brought elite production as well. In 50 college games, he completed over 70% of his passes, threw for 14,347 yards, 134 touchdowns, and just 27 picks. His final season was especially strong, with a completion rate of 74% and a 37-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Gabriel, too, peaked in his final year, hitting nearly 73% completions with a 30-to-6 ratio. Both quarterbacks come with strong college résumés, but it’s the ceiling that sets Sanders apart.

From a system standpoint, both players are seen as capable fits in Cleveland. The Browns have invested heavily in their offensive line, and both Sanders and Gabriel offer different strengths that can benefit from that infrastructure. General Manager Andrew Berry noted, “We just thought he [Gabriel] had a really well-rounded game… The biggest negative that you can say about him is that he doesn’t have ideal height. But that’s not something that we felt like showed up in his game or film. We felt strongly about Dillon.”


But that didn’t stop them from bringing in Sanders a day later — a decision that could either crowd the quarterback room or eventually yield a hidden gem. The logic, according to insiders, was rooted in upside. Sanders’ skill set, especially at 144th overall, was simply too promising to pass on.

In an era where quarterback development is more critical — and unpredictable — than ever, the Browns’ gamble may pay off handsomely. If Sanders proves his focus remains on football, Cleveland might have landed a future starter for the price of a mid-round flyer.

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