CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Cleveland Browns selected quarterback Dillon Gabriel with the 94th overall pick in the NFL Draft, social media erupted with confusion and criticism. But on the latest Orange and Brown Talk podcast, analyst Lance Reisland didn’t hesitate to defend a pick he had been advocating for since early in the draft process.

“I just was big on Dillon Gabriel from the start,” Reisland said on the podcast. “He throws the ball on time. And once again, production over potential … I don’t care that he’s not 6-4. I don’t care that he’s not 220. I don’t care that he doesn’t have a rocket arm. He throws it on time. He anticipates very well.”

This emphasis on timing and anticipation, rather than raw physical tools, appears to align perfectly with what head coach Kevin Stefanski prioritizes in his offensive system. As Reisland explained, “I thought he was a guy in the right system, which I think Stefanski’s system is … a quarterback you win with. It’s not a quarterback you win because of.”

Despite standing under 6 feet tall, Gabriel’s college production speaks volumes – throwing for over 18,000 yards and 155 touchdowns during his career at Central Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Beyond the statistics, it’s his footwork and ability to navigate the pocket that stands out on film.

“He’s got really good feet,” Reisland noted. “For me, quarterback speed means absolutely nothing. It’s how do you get out of the way and how do you change your launch points when you throw the football. And his footwork is impeccable.”

Fellow analyst Tim Bielik echoed these sentiments, referencing Gabriel’s performance against elite competition. “He was phenomenal,” Bielik said of Gabriel’s game against Ohio State the first time they played. “Making some really good throws. Pressure coming into his face. It didn’t matter. He stood in there strong.”

The podcast delved into why the 94th pick specifically caused such controversy among fans. As host Dan Labbe explained: “I think taking Dillon Gabriel at number 94 overall tells you something about how they value him … it’s a little more than that because I still think this is a really valuable pick with really valuable players on the board for a team that still coming out of this draft needs a lot of things.”

The selection becomes even more intriguing considering the Browns would later select another quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, in the fifth round. This suggests the organization is taking multiple swings at finding their quarterback of the future after trading away the second overall pick earlier this year.

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Reisland believes the Gabriel pick ultimately reflects Stefanski’s influence on the draft process: “I think Dillon Gabriel gives him a guy that really fits his scheme, a guy he really likes … When you watch them in body language and scheme and what they want to do with the quarterback in terms of quick decisions and the footwork and things like that, Dillon Gabriel does it very well.”

While Gabriel’s path to becoming a starter won’t be easy, the podcast makes a compelling case that his skill set and football intelligence might make him a surprisingly good fit in Cleveland – one that skeptical fans should keep an open mind about.

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Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Orange and Brown Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.