The Cleveland Browns shocked the NFL landscape during the draft, as they took two quarterbacks just a few rounds apart, one of them being Shedeur Sanders. While we can argue about how and why Sanders fell all day long, he's taken the first step in earning a spot on the Browns roster. Sanders was widely-regarded as excellent during rookie camp. The same cannot be said about Dillon Gabriel.
NFL scouts and pundits had their concerns about Gabriel prior to the draft. While he's incredibly accurate and an intelligent passer on tape, he lacks some of the physical tools necessary to make the jump to the professional level. That was brutally obvious in Browns camp, as Gabriel was frequently compared to Sanders (and not kindly). Seemingly, no matter what pundit you ask, Sanders outperformed his rookie counterpart. This leads to an obvious question: Why did the Browns select Gabriel that early in the first place?
Dillon Gabriel concerns aren't going away for the Browns
Gabriel is only 5-foot-11. His not going to grow any time soon. And while the Drew Brees phenomenon has encouraged some teams to throw height out the window, being able to find a throwing window is crucial at the NFL level. If Gabriel cannot see over defensive lineman and incoming pass rushers, how in the world is he supposed to find an open receiver?
Defenses have improved greatly over the past few years at leaping on the defensive line. While this sounds and often looks silly, the number of passes batted down by defensive lineman isn't small. With a player like Gabriel, that number will only grow – and perhaps makes the likelihood of a tipped interception all the more likely. The Browns have enough problems on their hands. They can ill-afford Gabriel turning the ball over if he's lucky enough to play.
The sad truth is the Browns have two veteran quarterbacks in Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco who wouldn't start for most teams. In Cleveland, one of them will get a chance. Behind Pickett and Flacco are Sanders and Gabriel, both of whom are fighting for a spot on the roster, and perhaps a chance to start late in the season if the Browns struggle. Keeping four quarterbacks on the roster is possible, but rare in the modern NFL barring a move to the practice squad.
Sanders was rated a higher draft prospect than Gabriel for a reason. The Browns are happy to have both, but one is clearly better than the other.