Not many people would’ve likely complained if the Cleveland Browns took Dillon Gabriel in rounds five or six.
It would’ve been an even better look if they had gotten Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round and just rolled with three quarterbacks on their roster.
Taking Dillon Gabriel at No. 94 was a questionable decision at best, and it was even harder to justify when they took Sanders the next day.
Notably, that’s why Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes it was the fifth-worst decision of the offseason:
“Gabriel’s experienced and he was productive in multiple offenses in college. But he’s also 5’11” on his tippy-toes, throws left-handed, doesn’t have a big arm and was almost universally regarded as a Day 3 prospect,” Davenport wrote. “Gabriel’s ceiling is all but certainly a competent backup. And a Browns team with needs galore on both sides of the ball can’t afford to waste top 100 picks like this.”
Granted, Gabriel won’t be the first short quarterback in the league, but he doesn’t seem to have the same traits that made Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, or even Kyler Murray successful.
He wouldn’t be the first left-handed quarterback either, but he’s not as talented as Michael Vick or Steve Young, and it takes a lot of effort and preparation to accommodate the offensive line for a lefty.
It’s not that Gabriel can’t play or that he doesn’t deserve a chance, but taking him with a top-100 selection looks like a massive reach.
Many fans wouldn’t have likely complained if they had taken him with one of their final picks or brought him as an undrafted free agent.
This team entered the offseason with many issues to address, and it just feels like they could’ve used that selection better.
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