Gabriel will head to Cleveland with backup expectations, but an intriguing chance to work his way up the quarterback ladder under the direction of head coach Kevin Stefanski. With Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Gabriel filling out their top three at the position as Deshaun Watson is set to possibly miss the upcoming season due to injury, the Browns don’t have a clear-cut starter as of now.
In the perfect scenario, Gabriel follows the path of Russell Wilson, the 75th pick of the 2012 draft who won the job out of camp and became a star with the Seahawks. More realistically, Gabriel will learn the pro game behind either of the aforementioned, more experienced signal-callers.
Speaking of experience, Gabriel has an immense amount of it at the collegiate level. He spent his first three years at UCF, where he made 26 appearances and threw for 8,037 yards, 70 touchdowns and 14 interceptions before transferring to Oklahoma in 2022. He replaced Caleb Williams with the Sooners, racking up 6,828 yards, 55 touchdowns and 12 interceptions before it became clear coach Brent Venables preferred decorated youngster Jackson Arnold as his quarterback entering 2024, sending Gabriel back into the transfer portal and leading him to Oregon for his sixth and final collegiate season.
Gabriel flourished with the Ducks, throwing for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading them to a 13-0 record, a Big Ten title and an appearance in the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff. His efforts also landed him a spot as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
At 5-foot-11, Gabriel is a smaller quarterback but was a consistent producer and an equally capable passer and runner in a number of different systems. Some might compare him to a lesser version of Baker Mayfield, who also made a name for himself at Oklahoma and was selected by the Browns, but with the first overall pick.
The expectations will be much lower for Gabriel, but the surprise remains.