Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell remembers scouting Gabriel during the pre-draft process and getting to know him as both a player and a person. He pointed out that Gabriel has the ability to make all the throws. In Gabriel’s final two college seasons, he completed 69 percent or more of his passes and threw for a combined 7,517 yards. During the same period, he also scrambled when needed, running for 522 yards and scoring 19 rushing touchdowns.
“He has really unique athleticism, quickness in the pocket to evade the rush and has always been able to make plays on schedule and also be a weapon off schedule,” O’Connell said. “We’re going to have to make sure we can adapt to that athleticism and still find a way to contain him.”
Even though he has the ability to, Vikings LB Jonathan Greenard said he doesn’t think that the Browns want Gabriel to have to use his legs and want him to play from the pocket. However, he does think that Gabriel’s athleticism will allow the Browns to call more dynamic plays via play action to get him to the perimeter of the field.
While Gabriel presents different challenges than QB Joe Flacco, Greenard said Gabriel still has to face the Vikings’ defense. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores employs blitzes and disguises to try and confuse the quarterback both pre- and post-snap. In his first start, Gabriel will attempt to diagnose that defense and what comes with it.
“He’s going to obviously have to deal with our defense, but at the end of the day, I’m pretty sure they have a good game plan over there, so we don’t look at it as any less of an opponent,” Greenard said.