Cleveland Browns select Dillon Gabriel in third round of 2025 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns selected Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Gabriel entered the NFL after spending one season at Oregon.

Dillon Gabriel became a top player in college football during his one season with the Ducks. The 24-year-old quarterback was named a First Team All-American and Big Ten MVP in 2024 after throwing for 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns. He led Oregon to a Big Ten championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Before joining Oregon, Gabriel spent two seasons at Oklahoma. During that time, Gabriel threw for 6,828 yards and 55 touchdowns while posting a 16-8 record. He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team in 2022 and the All-Big 12 First Team in 2023.

Gabriel began his college football career at UCF in 2019. His best season was in 2020 when he threw for 3,570 yards and 32 touchdowns, while leading the Golden Knights to a 6-4 record. He only played in three games in 2021 as he suffered a broken left clavicle. In his college career, Dillon Gabriel threw for 18,722 yards, the second most in Division 1 football history behind Case Keenum, who threw for 19,217.

Gabriel played high school football at Miliani in Hawaii. He was ranked No. 679 overall and the No. 44 quarterback in the Class of 2019, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Dillon Gabriel

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com gave an analysis of Dillon Gabriel for his draft profile. There is no NFL comparison for Gabriel, but Zierlein loved how consistent and productive he was throughout his time in college.

“Gabriel is an older and smaller QB prospect, but he offers a tremendous amount of game experience and productivity,” Zierlein wrote. “He operates with poise and confidence from the pocket. His field vision is average, but he typically takes care of the football. He’s capable of playing within the confines of an offense and can create yards with his legs as needed.

“Gabriel’s accuracy and timing is accurate on shorter throws, but the placement becomes erratic when pushed outside of his comfortable range. He might require a ball-control passing game to help manage his lack of arm talent and keep him from throwing into closing windows. He’s an effective scrambler who is able to elude pressure and make plays outside of the pocket. Gabriel requires a very specific offensive fit, but he’s a gamer with enough good tape to have a chance to become a decent backup.”