Oregon Transfer QB Dillon Gabriel is a Competitive Playmaker

There’s a lot to like about quarterback (QB) Dillon Gabriel.

For starters, he’s experienced along the lines of his predecessor at Oregon, QB Bo Nix, who became the Broncos’ first-round selection in this past draft. Nix ended his collegiate career with an FBS record 61 starts.

Nix is not far behind going into 2024 with 49 starts. Oregon is scheduled to play 12 games this season, so if Gabriel starts all of them, he will tie that record.

Gabriel is entering his sixth college season after previously playing for UCF and Oklahoma.

When I sat down and began my film study, this play was my first impression of Gabriel at Oklahoma last season and it happened against Texas.

Translating to the NFL

There are a lot of differences between college football and the NFL, but there are certain characteristics to look for on college tape that translate well to the NFL for quarterbacks.

Gabriel shows a lot of them.

• Visibly in command of the offense
• Polished looking
• Sees the whole field
• Goes through progressions (up to three reads)
• Spread the ball around
• Worked all three route levels (short, intermediate, and deep)

He looks the part.

Quarterbacks Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Tua Tagovailoa went through my mind while watching Gabriel play the position.

Pocket Presence

The thing I love most about taking the time to do a full-season film study is the opportunity to marinate in the game film and get a real feel for the prospect over time.

Gabriel shows a lot of maturity from the pocket.

While he needs to throw with better anticipation, he does tend to get the ball out of his hand fast enough to avoid taking a lot of sacks (2023: 17). Better yet, he has the presence of mind to throw it away often instead of taking yardage losses that are associated with sacks.

He can also be patient in the pocket when he needs to be.

Gabriel moves around well looking for a target to throw to. He’s also excellent at moving the pocket and creating different drop points to throw from, which create unique throwing lanes.

Most importantly ⎯Gabriel keeps his eyes downfield. He’s always looking to keep things moving.

Slingshot

Gabriel’s throwing mechanics are intriguing.

He’s a lefty and when he throws, this QB looks like a human slingshot. His pronounced hip rotation that goes into his throws at the intermediate route level (11-19 yards) is pronounced and it helps his aim.

That consistent throwing motion makes him more consistent as a passer. Gabriel produced a 69.3% completion percentage in 2023.

Competitiveness

This is Gabriel’s top attribute.

There’s no backdown in him.

It shows up when he’s running the football and when he is trying to get into the end zone like this play.

Forcing throws

Gabriel needs to fix this.

He shows a pervasive tendency to try to force his throws at times and that gets him into trouble.

He threw six interceptions and had 25 passes broken up in 12 games (2.08 average per game).

#8 Dillon Gabriel 5-11, 204 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 Summer Grade: Third-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 0% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of June 10, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film reviewed: Texas, SMU, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Arkansas State, UCF, West Virginia, TCU, Tulsa, Cincinnati, BYU, and Kansas (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

A dual-role pro-style prospect who shows maturity and developmental upside. Instinctual playmaker. Showed fancy ball handling and has some improv to his game. Convincing play-action fake. Tends to make relatively quick throwing decisions. Twitchy back there going through his progressions. Good at keeping defenses guessing where he’s going to throw. High football IQ. Focused. Tough. Poised. Fearless. Stares down the barrel of the pass rush and delivers. Some short passes are too hot to handle. Good arm strength at the intermediate route range. Tends to underthrow deep with 53% accuracy (21/39 on attempts I charted). Needs to get in the habit of releasing faster on deep attempts and putting the ball in front of receivers instead of behind them. Decent accuracy rolling out left or right. Runs a lot (2023: 93 carries). Takes on contact. His running ability helps the offense create in the red zone.

What to watch for during the 2024 college football season

1. Forcing throws?

2. Throwing with anticipation?

3. Underthrowing deep passes?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.