2025 NFL Draft: ESPN analyst reveals main question about QB Dillon Gabriel

This week, NFL scouts are locked in on the Reese’s Senior Bowl, with hopes to find the future of their respective franchises. One of the most highly-touted prospects at the event is Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Field Yates evaluated Gabriel’s NFL potential.

“This guy has got a lightning-quick release and he’s just a nifty athlete overall,” Yates said. “Some of the big questions for Dillon are going to be does he have the elite arm strength down the field? What is it like playing for him under center, which, by the way, is like a foreign thing for all quarterbacks at the collegiate level.”

At 6-foot, 200 pounds, Gabriel is undersized for his position. Nonetheless, his stature has never stopped him before from finding success.

Gabriel is a well-traveled QB, beginning his collegiate career at UCF before transferring to Oklahoma and then Oregon. In his six collegiate seasons, Gabriel amassed 18,722 passing yards and 155 touchdowns while completing 65.2% of his pass attempts.

Gabriel saved his best for last, exploding for a career-high 3,857 passing yards and 30 TDs, compared to just six interceptions in the 2024 campaign at Oregon. In Oregon’s first season in the Big Ten, Gabriel led the program to a conference championship and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts.

Field Yates believes some scouts may compare Gabriel to former Oregon QB Bo Nix due to their similar collegiate journeys.

“The guy has a ton of experience,” Yates said of Gabriel. “I know it’s not exactly the same but Bo Nix coming out of Oregon last year had the attention of the NFL, not just because of his skillset but because they knew he’d be pro-ready. Dillon Gabriel has some of that pro-readiness that will appeal to teams maybe at some point late in Day 2 or early in Day 3.”

The Denver Broncos’ decision to take a chance on Bo Nix certainly worked out for them. Nix led the Broncos to a 10-7 regular season record and their first appearance in the NFL Playoffs since 2015. ESPN’s Matt Barrie is confident that a player like Dillon Gabriel could change an NFL team’s trajectory.

“I’m of the opinion, if the scouting is done correctly, that you can hit on a quarterback on Day 2 and Day 3. And potentially a franchise quarterback, as well. We know Shedeur [Sanders] and Cam Ward, that’s going to be at the top of this class but there is a fight now for quarterback three and four.”

The NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 in at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.