Without a doubt, the most intriguing preseason to watch in 2025 will be that of the Cleveland Browns. The franchise drafted two rookie quarterbacks — Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — and added two veterans in the offseason, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, to round out the quarterback room.
Amid growing speculation over who will start, reports from rookie minicamp have been conflicting regarding the quarterbacks’ performances. However, two Browns insiders explained that the reason for the differing opinions is simple: the competition on the field has been extremely close.
Shedeur Sanders vs. Dillon Gabriel Duel Closer Than Most Expected
The Browns shocked everyone in the 2025 draft when they selected one quarterback in the third round and another in the fifth. Even more surprising was the order in which they were picked: Gabriel, the Oregon prospect widely projected as a Day 3 pick, was taken ahead of Sanders, a player once considered a candidate for the No. 1 overall selection.
And the battle between the two during rookie minicamp was genuinely tight, to the point that many analysts attending the practices had conflicting opinions. On the “Orange and Brown Talk Podcast”, Lance Reisland and Dan Labbe discussed the situation and shared their perspectives on the matter.
“I thought for myself, I thought Gabriel was a little bit better than Sanders, and people have it the other way, too. I think Dillon Gabriel is really polished in his drops. I think he’s very polished with his throwing motion,” Reisland explained.
That early outlook makes sense when you break down the profiles of the two prospects. While Gabriel was seen as the safer option, his ceiling is notably lower, entering the draft as a player projected to be a reliable backup who could maintain a team’s floor but not necessarily elevate it. Sanders, on the other hand, brought a more aggressive, big-play mindset to the table.
“I felt like Dillon was a little safer. I felt like he kind of tended to take more of what was there as opposed to Shedeur. He’s a big play hunter, which I, I mean, I like that. I like my quarterback to be a little bit of an explosive play hunter. And Shedeur is definitely… He’s got that in him sometimes to a fault,” Labbe said.
Reisland acknowledged that Sanders has explosive potential, but raised concerns about his footwork and overall arm talent. While Sanders’ mindset appears to be in the right place, those physical limitations were precisely what led to him being passed over, most notably in favor of Cam Ward.
But the debate will truly take shape once both quarterbacks are fully geared up and participating in live game drills. As Reisland pointed out, it’s hard to accurately assess what each player brings to the table without seeing their skills applied in real game situations — under pressure and with the full team around them.
“When pads go on, as I mentioned in one of my posts, when pads go on, that’s when they really separate themselves. Because when live things are flying out around them and they gotta, they got to take a big hit and then come back and make a big read and do all those kind of things that NFL quarterbacks got to do, the cream will rise to the top there, without question,” Reisland added.
