Stefanski's Role in Browns Drafting Gabriel Over Shedeur Sanders Revealed in Report

Nine months after the Cleveland Browns surprised many by taking Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft, the influence of now-former head coach Kevin Stefanski on the pick has been revealed.

Per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, the input from Stefanski "weighed heavily" on the Browns using the 94th pick on Gabriel.

Stefanski's tenure as Cleveland's head coach came to an end on Monday when he was fired after seven seasons.

Coming out of the draft, much was made about Cleveland using two picks on quarterbacks after Shedeur Sanders also got selected in the fifth round. He went 45-56 with two playoff appearances and won NFL Coach of the Year twice.

General manager Andrew Berry explained after the draft that it wasn't necessarily the plan to add two quarterbacks, but positional value and how the board played out made it worth adding Sanders after taking Gabriel:

"We live by our board. We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position. We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft. Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it's a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot. Our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete. Nothing's been promised. Nothing will be given."

The Athletic's Mike Sando hypothesized in November that Gabriel was the preferred pick by the coaching staff and Sanders was a pick made from higher-ups in the organization.

B/R's scouting report for Gabriel described him as having a skill set reminiscent of a "more athletic" Tua Tagovailoa, which is the type of timing-and-rhythm quarterback who fits Stefanski's system.

Sanders had plenty of questions coming out of college about his ability to throw on time because he likes to hold onto the ball.

Stefanski had Gabriel and Sanders as the No. 3 and 4 quarterbacks on the Browns' first preseason depth chart. Sanders sat in the third spot for most of the first half of the season, behind Gabriel and Joe Flacco.

Sanders made his first career start in Week 12, a 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, when Gabriel was out due to a concussion. He remained the starter for the remainder of the season, throwing for 1,353 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in those games.

The entire Browns quarterback depth chart will be a key storyline to follow this offseason, but it won't get any clarity until they find a new head coach.

Cleveland owns the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft after finishing 5-12 this season.