Advanced Stats Reveal Why Browns Prefer One of Their Rookie QBs

The Cleveland Browns made waves in the 2025 NFL Draft. Not only did they end up trading down with the Jacksonville Jaguars, bagging an extra first- and third-round pick to move from two to five, but they also took two separate quarterbacks. After adding Oregon's Dillon Gabriel with the 94th-overall selection, they decided that Shedeur Sanders' slide to the fifth round was too great an opportunity to pass up on.

On top of their two new rookies QBs, Cleveland had also signed former Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco in free agency and traded for fourth-year prospect Kenny Pickett, giving them a four-man committee all vying for Deshaun Watson's vacated starting spot. It's since been announced that Flacco will be the Browns' QB1 for their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, that doesn't mean that the team and Head Coach Kevin Stefanski don't still have grand plans for their rookie quarterbacks. The only matter now is, which of their two first-year gunslingers will be a part of their future? While this question might not be answered until the end of the 2025 NFL season, the Browns have shown a clear preference so far in training camp and preseason.

Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, NFL, training camp, Cleveland Browns — May 10, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) passes as quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) looks on during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Why the Browns might like Dillon Gabriel more than Shedeur Sanders

As a fifth-round pick, Shedeur Sanders started his NFL career on a steep uphill climb. Despite the immense talent he displayed with the Colorado Buffaloes, his off-field baggage had teams questioning if he'd be worth the trouble and, ultimately, undervaluing his capabilities.

Sanders kept his head down after the 2025 draft and took full advantage of his opportunities with the Cleveland Browns. Despite being relegated to working with the third-team offense, and sometimes even having to throw to equipment managers, he never complained. When he got the opportunity to start in Cleveland's first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, he made the most of it, throwing for 138 yards on 14-of-23 passing and scoring two touchdowns.

But it wasn't enough to move him up on Head Coach Kevin Stefanski's rotation, as he's still currently listed as the QB4 behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel on the Browns' unofficial depth chart.

The Athletic's Jason Lloyd believes that Cleveland trusts Gabriel more than Sanders, pointing to advanced stats as to why:

"Gabriel also did a better job of throwing into realistic NFL windows that quarterbacks usually see on Sundays. NextGen Stats defines tight-window throws as attempts to targets with less than a yard of separation from the nearest defender when the pass arrives.

Gabriel was 3 of 4 on those throws against the Eagles, according to NextGen Stats, and two of those turned third downs into first downs. Sanders was 0 for 4 on tight-window throws against the Panthers...

None of this is to imply that Gabriel will have a more successful NFL career than Sanders, but it illustrates why the Browns favor Gabriel at this point — they trust him more and believe he can handle more within an NFL offense."

There's still time for Sanders to prove himself the quarterback with the most potential in the Browns' QB room. He'll have another opportunity in Cleveland's final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. He could certainly earn some run in the regular season as well. He's still got a long way to climb, though.