Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel will have the opportunity to go head to head at the Cleveland Browns’ minicamp. The two rookies were selected in this years draft and have been the subject of much discussion and speculation. The rookie minicamp is an annual event that takes place over three days, the minicamp is the first exposure to NFL coaching, playbooks and tempo for rookie’s joining the NFL. It serves as an opportunity to prove their worth and a chance for the respective teams to see what they have in their new rookies’.
How did Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel find themselves in this position?
The NFL draft has always produced some drama. Over the years, the speculation around certain draft picks have led to some incredible moments. Shedeur Sanders did not have the draft he was expecting. Nearly all of the NFL pundits expected Sanders to be picked in the early rounds. His fall down the selection order was unexpected as round after round, team after team, he remained unchosen.
Dillon Gabriel had a very different experience as far as his draft day was concerned. The quarterback out of Oregon was selected in the third round by the Cleveland Browns. His selection was viewed as a proactive decision by the Browns, while the Shedeur signing was a more reactive decision. Gabriel was the player that Cleveland wanted, Sanders is the player Cleveland chose as an unexpected extra.
Shedeur was expected to be one of the top picks in the early rounds, but due to his attitude and reputation, he fell down the selection order. He was eventually selected in the fifth round. To his credit, he handled the situation with calmness and professionalism. And now that the Cleveland Browns rookie minicamp has began, the two rookies will face high expectations from the Browns.
How can Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders set themselves apart?
Shedeur Sanders had a stellar college career. He was mentored by his father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, and played under him for Colorado. Some have speculated that Deion Sanders is the reason for Shedeur Sanders falling down the selection order in this years draft. Deion Sanders has always loved the limelight and may have overstepped his responsibilities to his son.
Dillon Gabriel had a very different college career. He played significantly more games than Shedeur for a number of different colleges, namely UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon. He played in 64 games and started 63 of them, the most starts by any FBS quarterback in history. So his spot was secure ahead of the draft and it came as no surprise that Cleveland selected him as back up to Joe Flacko.
With the future of the draft promising to bring more drama, the two players have began showing their skills at the Browns’ minicamp. Their college stats give an equal ability to both of them, with Shedeur perhaps edging it. The time has come for both players to live up to the expectations of their new bosses at the Cleveland Browns and show what they can do.
What does the 2025 season have in store for the Cleveland Browns and their rookies?
The rookie quarterbacks will face a lot of pressure to perform early on as the Browns had a disastrous season last year. With the annual NFL team owners meeting concluding and some changes being implemented, the teams and players in the NFL will be forced to adapt. The Browns need a better season than last year as they finished with a 3-14 record and 4th place in the AFC North. After making the playoffs in 2023, that is not acceptable for Cleveland’s fans. The NFL is excited to see which of the two Cleveland rookies will perform better this season when given the chance to play.
