How draft position gives Dillon Gabriel a ‘longer leash’ than Shedeur Sanders

CLEVELAND, Ohio — In the idealistic world of sports, the best player gets the job regardless of background, contract, or draft position. But the latest Orange and Brown Talk podcast pulled back the curtain on the more complicated reality of NFL quarterback competitions, specifically how the Browns’ investment in their rookies shapes their opportunities.

Despite Shedeur Sanders showing flashes of being the more impressive rookie quarterback in early practices, the podcast hosts explained why third-round pick Dillon Gabriel still maintains an advantage over the fifth-rounder Sanders — regardless of what coaches might say publicly about everyone having an equal chance.

“So where they draft these guys matters and there’s a reason they drafted them and they do care about that to an extent,” explained podcast host Dan Labbe. “Dillon Gabriel was a third-round pick. And so while we’re sitting here saying he hasn’t looked the best of these two quarterbacks and especially today, he’s also just got a longer leash and he’s just got more room to not be, to maybe not be the guy they’ve envisioned yet because he was a third-round pick and that matters.”

This candid acknowledgment cuts against the grain of typical coach-speak but reveals an uncomfortable truth about NFL roster management: teams give players selected with premium draft picks more opportunities to succeed because those picks represent significant organizational investment.

Ashley Bastock reinforced this point while noting the Browns’ historical approach: “Yeah, it does matter. And I think too, as you’ve seen for a long time, Andrew Berry was so averse to getting rid of any of his draft picks. It took a few years … And they have since cut bait with guys. I think they’ve gotten better at doing that when they need to.”

The podcast conversation revealed several examples of this principle in action across the Browns’ roster. Whether it’s running back Quinshon Judkins being positioned for a significant role as a higher draft pick, or how defensive tackle Mason Graham will almost certainly see the field faster than late-round selections, draft capital creates a subtle but powerful advantage.

For Sanders, this means he’s fighting not just against the other quarterbacks but against the organizational psychology that inherently wants to see its higher investments succeed. The hosts observed this playing out in practice repetitions, with Gabriel consistently working with better personnel groups despite some inconsistent performances.

This isn’t unique to Cleveland. Across the NFL, teams regularly give first-round quarterbacks years to develop while late-rounders might get only a handful of meaningful chances. It creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where higher picks receive more developmental resources, leading to better outcomes that then justify the additional investment.

Labbe summed it up succinctly: “But right now they’re going to favor the higher draft pick.”

The conversation wasn’t suggesting this approach is wrong — rather, it’s a pragmatic reality of how NFL teams operate. For the Browns specifically, with two first-round picks looming in next year’s draft, the organization needs to properly evaluate what they have in both rookies. But that evaluation comes with the built-in context of their original assessment of each player, reflected in when they were drafted.

Want more unfiltered insights into how NFL teams really make decisions beyond the public-facing comments? Listen to the full Orange and Brown Talk episode for candid analysis from those watching the quarterback competition unfold day by day in Berea.

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