Why did Browns take Dillon Gabriel before Shedeur Sanders in draft and how could it affect their QB competition?

The Cleveland Browns selecting Dillon Gabriel before fellow quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft seemed shocking, but a new report has clarified why the team made that choice.

In a story published Sunday, Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reported the Browns were concerned with Sanders' "negative plays" in his final season at Colorado. Last season, the 144th pick of the 2025 draft tossed a career-high 10 interceptions and took 42 sacks in 13 starts.

Gabriel, meanwhile, never threw more than seven interceptions in six seasons at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon. The 94th pick of the 2025 draft also proved that he quickly learns new schemes throughout his college career.

"He's played in multiple schemes, picked up new terminology quickly and hit the ground running in each of his stops," wrote Cabot. "He's extremely confident, has excellent leadership ability and has started an FBS-record 63 games. He's also tied Case Keenum for the all-time FBS record with 155 [touchdown] passes."

The draft positions of Gabriel and Sanders will determine the depth chart when OTAs begin on May 27, per Cabot.

Gabriel being ahead of Sanders may prove that the league didn't view him as a blue-chip prospect. 

"I remember joining you guys in the fall and saying, 'Shedeur's not a top-five guy. That's not the type of player we're dealing with here. He's more of a late one, early two. That's what the talent says,'" The Athletic's Dane Brugler said Friday on the "Scoop City" podcast. "If Shedeur Sanders had Dillon Gabriel's intangibles, I 100 percent believe he would have been drafted somewhere in the top-50 picks."

Sanders must make up ground in Cleveland's QB competition between himself, Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. 

Although Gabriel (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) lacks ideal size for an NFL QB, the Browns seem to be high on him and believe he's more pro-ready than Sanders.