NFL executive rips Browns over Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders draft moves

The Cleveland Browns trading up to take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the 144th pick of the 2025 draft after they grabbed Oregon's Dillon Gabriel at selection No. 94 still had noteworthy members of the NFL community scratching their heads during the opening week of May. 

For a piece produced by Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports that was published on Tuesday, one unnamed NFL executive ripped the Browns for doing Gabriel no favors on the draft's final day. 

"Now I look at their (quarterback) room and I don’t know what they’re doing," that executive said. "Do they even have a plan? And you know who else is thinking that? Dillon Gabriel. He spent, what, 12 hours as their likely future starter? And then, this."

Before the Browns shocked outside observers by drafting Sanders, most understandably assumed Gabriel would spend his rookie season sitting behind veteran Joe Flacco and 2022 first-round selection Kenny Pickett. While college coaches, defensive coordinators and analysts viewed Sanders as the better prospect of the two rookies, Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski favored Gabriel.

Reports have insisted that Browns ownership wasn't responsible for the Sanders decision and that drafting the polarizing prospect became a "no-brainer" for Berry once Sanders fell to the fifth round. Since April 24, much has been made about how Sanders' handling of the predraft process seemingly turned teams off. 

"One huge reason why (Sanders) slipped so far in the draft is because there is this giant spotlight on him," an NFC personnel executive told Vacchiano. "Once he got past the teams that needed a franchise quarterback, he fell into the developmental range. But we generally want those guys to sit quietly and learn and support the starter. Just blend into the background. Is that even going to be possible with him?"

The son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders will almost certainly bring attention to upcoming Browns practices that otherwise would've gone largely ignored by national media outlets. It seems likely either Flacco or Pickett will open the season as Cleveland's QB1, but recent history suggests the Browns will need to start multiple quarterbacks before Week 18 wraps up.