Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are hoping to become the next franchise quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.
Drafted in the third and fifth rounds, respectively, Gabriel and Sanders are battling it out for the starting job with Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco this offseason, and at the very least are trying to secure a roster spot.
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While Flacco or Pickett are expected to start, chances are the Browns want to get a look at their young signal-callers at some point during the regular season once it’s clear Cleveland isn’t going to make the playoffs.
By the time the end of the season rolls around, we’ll have a good idea whether or not Gabriel and/or Sanders have a chance to become the franchise quarterback in Cleveland. If neither one shows enough, the Browns could pivot.
And that pivot could come in the 2026 NFL draft, where Pro Football & Sports Network’s Mark Stolte predicts the Browns will draft electric South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers with the No. 2 overall pick.
“The Cleveland Browns are taking a gamble here on LaNorris Sellers. With all his faults, Sellers still ranked 82nd of 156 in adjusted completion percentage at 74.6% — something neither Josh Allen nor Anthony Richardson even came close to hitting as full-time starters,” Stolte said.
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“With a more accurate starting point and that same freak athleticism, the Browns can risk it for the biscuit with a potentially franchise-changing pick.”
Sellers is fresh off his first season as a starter, when he showed promise. The South Carolina signal-caller completed 65.6% of his passes for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
He also added 674 rushing yards and another seven scores, showing his elite dual-threat ability.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound quarterback checks about every box you want.
He has freak athleticism and playmaking ability with his legs, but is strong enough to take and hit and even shed would-be tacklers.
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Sellers also has the requisite arm talent, footwork and quick release to be a special passer, although he does need to improve his ability to go through progressions, something we hope to see in his second season as a starter in 2025.
There is a chance he doesn’t declare and opts to stay in college for another season, but if Sellers manages to build on what he did in 2024 and performs like one of the top signal-callers in the country, the chance at being a high draft pick might be too good to pass up on.
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