Who will draft Dillon Gabriel? Best NFL draft fits, landing spots for Heisman finalist

Admin December 14, 2024

For the second year in a row, an Oregon quarterback was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Ducks passer Dillon Gabriel transferred to the program as a sixth-year senior following a stint with the Oklahoma Sooners and finished third in the running for college football’s top award.

The Ducks are the top seed in the College Football Playoff after a 13-0 regular season and Big Ten conference championship. With Gabriel at the helm, the Ducks finished the regular season 15th in scoring (35.9 points per game) and 14th in passing (278 yards per game). He earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors for leading the conference in completion percentage, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.

In a Heisman finalist group featuring top talents like Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter, Gabriel finished third with 24 first-place votes. Here’s what to know about Gabriel and his potential landing spots in the NFL.

Dillon Gabriel scouting report

Gabriel’s started five full seasons in college football, two each with UCF and Oklahoma before his final year with Oregon this fall. He’s played 63 games in his college career in three different conferences, giving him a ton of starting experience.

Gabriel excels as a quick, accurate distributor to his stable of talented skill position players at Oregon. Like Bo Nix before him, he’s thrived this season picking apart defenses in the short and intermediate areas and can run RPO plays efficiently. His ball placement is arguably his best trait as a passer.

He is mobile and can roll out of the pocket to hit his receivers, like in this throw in the Big Ten championship game to Tez Johnson for a touchdown.

With all of this experience, Gabriel is one of the older prospects in the class and will turn 25 by the end of his rookie season. He’s a bit on the smaller size for an NFL quarterback and his arm strength isn’t good enough to fit in a vertical passing offense.

None of his traits are elite enough to warrant a first-round selection. He’s likely to go later in the process, likely as a late Day 2 or Day 3 selection.

Who will draft Dillon Gabriel?

Gabriel is not expected to go early in the 2025 NFL draft. Here are who experts are predicting will take the Oregon quarterback:

Tyler Brooke, 33rd Team: Sixth round, No. 188 overall to the San Francisco 49ers
Tim Weaver, Sports Illustrated: Fifth round, No. 143 overall to the Carolina Panthers
The Draft Network: Third round, No. 99 overall to the Miami Dolphins

Dillon Gabriel’s best NFL fits

Gabriel’s physical limitations and strengths as an accurate pocket passer means he likely fits best in offenses using West Coast concepts. Those systems emphasize short to intermediate passing as an efficient way to churn out yards.

He projects well as a backup quarterback in a timing-based offense that uses West Coast concepts.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gabriel joins fellow former Oklahoma Sooner Baker Mayfield in the quarterback room in Tampa Bay. The Buccaners have the second-lowest average depth of target (aDOT) in the NFL entering Week 14. He’s slightly less mobile than Mayfield with less arm strength as well but the system with a solid offensive line and improving running game could suit him.
Miami Dolphins: Gabriel could be an answer for the Dolphins’ backup quarterback issues. His pocket presence, timing and accuracy could make him a good fit for the Dolphins’ passing concepts. He’s experienced in throwing to playmakers from his time in Eugene and that’d certainly be the case in Miami.
Los Angeles Rams: He wouldn’t necessarily be the quarterback of the future but the Rams’ scheme is certainly quarterback-friendly enough for it to work around his skill set. Los Angeles isn’t afraid of older quarterback prospects given their drafting of Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. Gabriel is a similar prospect in size and experience.
San Francisco 49ers: San Francisco took a physically limited quarterback prospect in Brock Purdy and made him one of the most efficient passers in the NFL surrounded by top skill position talent. Gabriel could offer similar mobility and plenty of experience to make up for his lack of elite arm talent.

Dillon Gabriel stats

There are still some games to play for Gabriel in the College Football Playoff but here’s how his stats look after the regular season (as of Dec. 12):