By now, the story of Shedeur Sanders’ draft slide is no longer news. The once-projected lottery pick didn’t leave the draft board until the fifth round when the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 144th overall pick. The irony of the story is that Sanders was the second quarterback picked by the Browns.
It is no news that Cleveland had scouted Sanders thoroughly for their No. 2 overall pick, yet it passed on Sanders in the third round and picked Dillon Gabriel with the 94th selection.
Dillon Gabriel’s Leadership and Intelligence Made Him a Draft-Day Riser
On a recent episode of the “Scoop City” podcast, Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel were joined by Dane Brugler, a draft expert for The Athletic, to discuss why the Browns taking Gabriel at No. 94 was such a surprise.
“But Dillon Gabriel is probably the answer here. He’s a really smart player, and he’s like a point guard in the way he operates, but he’s undersized. He’s a perfect example of how important spring is for quarterbacks,” Brugler said.
“Because I had multiple teams telling me that Gabriel was the most impressive interview they did throughout the process. That’s the Senior Bowl and combine — he was the most impressive interview that teams did. It’s not a huge surprise when you talk to his coaches at UCF, Oklahoma, or Oregon.
“He showed up at Oregon this past year in his minivan, and one of the reasons he has a minivan is so he has enough room to take his teammates places. That’s the kind of leader that he is and the kind of guy that he is. He quickly became the captain of that team, and with quarterbacks — you know this better than anyone, Chase — it’s an intangible position.”
Brugler also added what separated Gabriel from others — it’s not just what’s on the field that matters, but what happens off of it.
“The talent on the field is important, but how you operate behind the scenes is what led Gabriel to be a Day 2 pick. We’ll see how it plays out.”
Gabriel played in 64 total college games across a six-year college career and started 63, which is the highest total of any quarterback in FBS history. He spent time at three different programs throughout his college career and broke through in a big way in his final year at Oregon.
He spent just one year in Eugene, Ore., but he made it count by completing 72.9% of passes for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions. That led him to become a first-team All-American and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
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