Depending on who you ask, you may find a different answer to the question, "Who's the best rookie quarterback on the Cleveland Browns this year?" Usually, a team will only draft one rookie for the position, while having a veteran or two to make up the rest of the room.
The Browns, however, decided to do the old 'pasta trick' and throw everything they have at the wall and see what sticks to start under center.
Maybe not a perfect metaphor, but the Browns brought back underground icon Joe Flacco, acquired former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, and drafted not only Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft but also Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round. The entire quarterback room is different from last year, as that room featured Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Bailey Zappe.
All of those players are gone now. It's very likely that this quarterback room will be led by Flacco, as he's the most ready and most tested talent the team has under center. Yet, the debate about who'll take over for Flacco in the event of an injury (or if the team is no longer playing meaningful games) still rages. Many believe that Sanders, due to his lineage, college performances, and overall stock prior to the draft, will be the guy.
Is Shedeur Sanders Really Behind Dillon Gabriel in the QB Pecking Order?
Yet, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer has said just the opposite, pointing out that Gabriel is out-playing Sanders so far in practice and going as far as to say that the third-rounder has out-paced Sanders. If Sanders were to take over the number two spot, he'd have to make up "a lot of ground," according to Breer.
Some fans have pushed back on the narrative, however, and others still wonder if Sanders is getting a fair shake. It seems unlikely that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn't play Sanders if he were truly better than Gabriel (or Flacco), as his job is likely on the line this season. Still, as Andscape's Justin Tinsley has pointed out, even when the Browns try to develop quarterback talent, they don't often do so.
Just in recent history, we went from DeShone Kizer to Baker Mayfield, to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and now to Gabriel and Sanders. Save for Mayfield, neither of the previous two men worked out. Looking back at recent history, the Browns have drafted 14 quarterbacks. One, Mayfield, would go on to the Pro Bowl as a member of the Buccaneers.
So even if Sanders outpaces Gabriel (assuming he even has to), then we'll have to see if the Browns do the one thing with Sanders they couldn't do before: develop a rookie quarterback into a genuine winner.
Training camp is going to be interesting to watch.