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Dillon Gabriel Gets Good News After Browns Minicamp originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Oregon Ducks just put up one of their most successful seasons in the program's history. Not only did they finish the regular season undefeated in their first year in the Big Ten, but they also won the conference championship game against Penn State.
As a result, the Ducks received the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff after barely missing out on making it with Bo Nix the year prior. Oklahoma Sooners transfer Dillon Gabriel led them at the quarterback position.
While the Ducks fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl, that didn't put a stop to their success. In April's NFL Draft, 10 Ducks were selected, the most in a single draft in program history.
Many were shocked to see Gabriel be selected as high as he was when the Cleveland Browns took him in the third round. Even more surprising was the fact that they drafted him with Shedeur Sanders still on the board.
Now, the two are battling it out in Browns minicamp. While some out there believe in Sanders, Gabriel has received good news regarding his current standing with the team. In their 11-on-11 drills, Gabriel has been seen working with the first-team offense, something Cleveland.com beat writer Mary Kay Cabot believes is significant.
“I think it’s very significant right now that they’re throwing first-teamers at Dillon," wrote Kabot. "Dillon is playing with the first-team offense against the first-team defense. I mean, those are choice quality reps that he’s getting.”
The Browns are one of the more intriguing quarterback battles around the league, with Gabriel, Sanders, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett.
“The Browns are positioning Gabriel to potentially serve as the backup quarterback behind a veteran starter, likely Joe Flacco or Pickett," Kabot wrote. "Sanders, meanwhile, is on a longer developmental timeline.”
Things can change between now and the team's official training camp in August, but the Browns have seemingly liked what they've seen from Gabriel if they're not afraid to throw first-team reps at him.
While he's not the biggest, Gabriel has a solid arm with great ball placement. They likely won't build around him, but they can likely keep you competitive in a game if he's thrown into the game in an emergency situation.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
