Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders now populate a depth chart seemingly crafted to thrive in Kevin Stefanski’s West Coast system.
While competition for the starting role promises compelling training camp battles, one Cleveland Browns’ particular decision raised eyebrows among many.
Despite Shedeur Sanders carrying higher draft grades on many boards, Cleveland opted to select Dillon Gabriel earlier in their draft process.
This apparent contradiction created questions about the team’s quarterback evaluation strategy.
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot recently peeled back the curtain on Cleveland’s thinking.
She revealed that Stefanski really liked Gabriel’s experience, mobility, and decision-making.
“I believe Stefanski liked a number of quarterbacks in this draft, including Cam Ward, who went No. 1 to the Titans, and Tyler Shough, who went No. 40 to the Saints. He also really likes Gabriel, who has a strong arm, an FBS-record 63 career starts, good mobility, and excellent processing speed. He also liked Shedeur Sanders, but not as much as he liked Gabriel, which is obvious because they drafted No. 94, and passed on Sanders six times until they traded up to get him at No. 144,” Cabot said.
According to Cabot, drafting two quarterbacks wasn’t part of their original blueprint.
Rather, their approach evolved as the draft board developed. When Sanders remained available far beyond expectations, the Browns identified a market inefficiency they could exploit.
The organization viewed him as significantly undervalued relative to his talent projection.
Despite his fifth-round status, Sanders has generated genuine optimism regarding his potential to climb the depth chart rapidly.
Some fans even believe he could challenge not just for the backup role, but potentially enter the starting quarterback conversation sooner than expected.
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