The Cleveland Browns finally got a rookie quarterback, but it just wasn’t the one everybody thought they would get.
Not many people had Dillon Gabriel on the Browns’ radar, and while getting him wasn’t necessarily shocking, the fact that they took him at No. 94 turned plenty of heads.
Notably, that’s why Zak Jackson of The Athletic called this selection ‘baffling,’ especially considering that the team had other needs to address first:
“Stefanski likes tight ends, too. Fannin is still learning the position and is only 20 years old, but the Browns believe he can continue to develop. Judkins figures to play a lot as a rookie, and Fannin has a high ceiling,” Jackson wrote. “Cleveland still needs to add to the offensive line and wide receiver groups, so reaching for Gabriel to end the draft’s second night is just baffling.”
The consensus seemed to be that Gabriel would be taken in the fifth round, so the Browns might have essentially had a chance to get him later in the draft.
Gabriel is 5-foot-11, left-handed, and 24 years old already.
Some of those issues are more concerning than others, but he’s been seen as a backup quarterback for most of his career.
There’s nothing wrong with the Browns taking a potential backup, but it seems like they reached to do so.
Also, with Shedeur Sanders still on the board, the fact that a player like Gabriel, who was penciled in as QB6 or QB7 on most big boards, raises some questions.
Whatever the case, it now seems like the Browns are gearing up to get their quarterback next year, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, they will have to hit it out of the park with their next three selections after this one.
NEXT: Insider Says Browns Made 'Sensational Pick' In Draft
