Surprising Dillon Gabriel update emerges amid Browns' Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson competition

Cleveland Browns 2025 fifth-round draft pick Shedeur Sanders and veteran Deshaun Watson entered the NFL's summer break as the club's top two quarterbacks who are expected to compete for the team's starting job through at least a portion of the preseason. 

Meanwhile, 2025 third-round choice Dillon Gabriel seemingly became surplus to requirements in Cleveland after the Browns grabbed Arkansas signal-caller Taylen Green in the sixth round of this year's draft. However, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested in a mailbag posted on Sunday that the Browns aren't giving up on Gabriel quite yet. 

Will Dillon Gabriel be the Browns' QB3 over Taylen Green?

"Gabriel has had a very nice spring, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up as the third QB on the Browns roster," Cabot wrote. "Gabriel is an excellent processor and game manager, and those traits were on display in organized team activities and minicamp. The hard part for Gabriel is that he hasn’t gotten a chance to work with the first-team offense in camp to show how far he’s come since last year. The truth is, Gabriel could step in and start a game for the Browns if necessary, and will probably fare much better with an overhauled offensive line and upgraded supporting cast."

First-year head coach Todd Monken wasn't with the Browns when they drafted Gabriel and Sanders. Additionally, Monken made it quite clear via his actions this spring that he prefers Sanders over Gabriel. Gabriel went 1-5 over six starts during his rookie season before he suffered a concussion in November that opened the door for Sanders to become the team's starter. Sanders ultimately finished the campaign atop Cleveland's depth chart. 

The perception exists that Sanders closed the gap in the competition for the starting job by the final day of Cleveland's mandatory minicamp. For Sunday's piece, Cabot said that Sanders "came from behind to catch Watson heading into" training camp. 

That said, some think Cleveland could bid on former Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby during the supplemental draft. The Browns almost certainly would look to trade either Sanders or Gabriel if they acquired Sorsby ahead of training camp. 

When Browns will have to make final Dillon Gabriel call

"The big question heading into camp at this spot is if the Browns feel Taylen Green is ready to step in and handle some of the critical situations the Browns would use him in, such as short-yardage, goal-line and four-minute," Cabot added. "If Gabriel earns the QB3 spot, the Browns might try to get Green through to the practice squad. If they feel comfortable with Green, they could always try to trade Gabriel around the cutdown date Aug. 30."

Watson has a concerning injury history, and Sanders has made just seven career regular-season starts. Thus, it's fair to wonder if Gabriel may have more of a short-term future with the Browns than some thought as of the final day of the 2026 draft.