Dillon Gabriel Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Troy Wayrynen/IMAGN Images)
School: Oregon
Class: Senior
Position: QB
HT: 5’11
WT: 205 lbs
Background: Dillon Gabriel is a left-handed quarterback who has become one of the more decorated and experienced players in college football history. Dillon’s father, Garrett, was a quarterback at Hawai’i in the 1980s. Gabriel was a 3-star quarterback in the 2019 class. He was a top 10 player in Hawai’i and a top 20 pro-style QB in the class. Gabriel is from Mililani, Hawai’i and attended Mililani High School. Gabriel was named the 2018 Gatorade Hawai’i Player of the Year. He led his team to a Division 1 state title in 2018. Gabriel originally committed to Army West Point out of high school before flipping to UCF.
College: Gabriel was an immediate starter for UCF as a true freshman in 2019. Their offense that season ranked 2nd in the country in yards per game. Gabriel was named to the All-AAC Second Team and the All-AAC Academic Team. Once again, in 2020, Gabriel was named to the All-AAC Second Team and the All-AAC Academic Team. Gabriel transferred to Oklahoma ahead of his junior season. Gabriel was an All-Big 12 selection in 2022 after throwing for 3,168 yards and 25 passing touchdowns. In 2023, Gabriel was an All-Big 12 First Team selection for the Sooners after throwing for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns. After Gabriel graduated from Oklahoma, he grad-transferred to Oregon. Gabriel was a Heisman finalist and First Team All-American for the Ducks as he led them to a Big 10 championship.
Strengths: Dillon Gabriel has put up consistent contribution no matter where he has been throughout his college career. Gabriel is a good decision maker who consistently makes the correct read. Gabriel thrives with getting the ball out quickly in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He has had more time to develop than his fellow quarterbacks in this draft, so he is closer to NFL ready. Gabriel is an accurate thrower. He can fit the ball into incredibly tight windows with the defense draped all over the intended target. He does well to throw the ball with a nice touch when necessary. Gabriel does well to layer the ball over the top of defenses to drop it in a bucket down the field. Gabriel has good footwork in the pocket. He seemingly has eyes on the back of his head telling him when there is blindside pressure. He knows when to step up in the pocket and can deliver a strike with the pocket collapsing around him. Gabriel provides a dual-threat ability as he can hurt defenses with his legs. He does not have elite speed, but he is fast enough.
Weaknesses: Gabriel’s biggest weaknesses seem to be areas that cannot be improved – arm strength and size. Gabriel would be towards the bottom of the NFL in terms of height at the position. While he does not have a noodle arm, he does not have the rocket arm that the elite quarterbacks tend to have. The deeper the throw, the higher he has to throw the football and he struggles to hit his receiver in stride with those throws. Gabriel has had his redzone issues throughout his career. He turns the ball over more than you would like to see in that area. He cannot access the middle of the field, which leads to more limited options in an already shortened field.
Conclusion: Dillon Gabriel is a smart quarterback with composure that comes from his extended stay in college football. He has a higher floor than some due to his ability to gash defenses with his legs. If Gabriel can begin to access the middle area of the field more consistently, he can become a league average starting QB.
Scheme Fit: West Coast
Ideal Role: Backup QB
Best Team Fits: NYJ, MIA, ARI
Player Comparison: Tua Tagovailoa
Player Grade: Round 5 (59.3)
