Cleveland Browns' Shedeur Sanders On 'Cool Guy' Dillon Gabriel: NFL Rookie Minicamp

Sanders revealed his early impressions of "cool guy" Gabriel.

"Cool, normal," Sanders said about Gabriel after the Browns' second camp practice. "He's a real cool guy overall. You can tell he always have a great mood. He's always in a good mood. I've only been around him two days though. He always have a great mood, but overall I can tell he's a pretty good person."

Oregon Ducks fans aren't shocked to hear this, after witnessing Gabriel effortlessly lead the Ducks with his easygoing, yet uber-competitive personality.

Gabriel's drive and "addiction to winning" showed up when he was asked about Sanders and the quarterback competition.

"I love it because of who it is," Gabriel said after the Browns first practice of camp. "The more questions I get asked like that, it just divides the team. For me, we're in a room full of not just us, but Kenny [Pickett], Joe [Flacco], and DeShaun [Watson]. For us we know how important a healthy QB room is. A team that you want to be a part of. How do you create an environment every single day where everyone can be at their best. That's just pushing one another, which talent naturally does. ... We all go do our thing, and everyone wins."

Both Gabriel and Sanders have shown splashes of their potential. Gabriel, who was given the first-team reps at practice, tossed this touchdown pass.

"I think this is definitely a place where I thrive," Gabriel said. "Being able to get back in the building and I think within six months of the draft process, you are kind of team-less and a lot of time for you to build and grow individually. But this is where I thrive, being in a team environment. That's how you play the game of football."

Gabriel is not intimidated by the competition. During his college career, Gabriel had to earn three different starting roles on three different teams: UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon. The 5-11, 205-pound quarterback Gabriel shined as a Duck, leading the team to a 13-1 overall record and a Big Ten Conference title in 2024. Gabriel finished 30 touchdowns plus six interceptions on 3,857 yards with a 72.9 completion rate. He also collected 149 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 75 carries.

Stefanski's plan is to get Gabriel and Sanders as many reps as possible, adding more competitive periods to the minicamp schedule.

"You may get the first rep of practice with the ones, but then the next period you may get the second group. So, we vary it throughout. We're focused more on the totality of this competition," Stefanski said. "I told the players last night, we tell them this – we're evaluating everything they do out on the field, in the meeting room, in the weight room. We want to see how they work. So, this is a total evaluation. It's not just about one rep at rookie minicamp or one rep in an OTA. It's really all about the body of work."