Dillon Gabriel NFL Draft: Best landing spot for Oregon QB

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Despite some concerns surrounding his measurables, on the field, Gabriel has done some very impressive things.

The 24-year-old has six seasons of college football under his belt, being a starter in each of them. Gabriel started off his collegiate career with the University of Central Florida for three seasons. However, after suffering a season-ending injury in his third season with the program, he opted to transfer to Oklahoma. After two seasons with the Sooners, Gabriel transferred to Oregon for his final season of collegiate football.

He finished his 2024 campaign with career-highs in most statistics, as he threw for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He completed 326 of his career-high 447 pass attempts on the season, which was good enough for a 72.9 completion percentage. Gabriel started 14 games for Oregon, helping the team earn a 13-1 overall record, and finishing the year as the No. 1-ranked program in college football.

Although Gabriel helped Oregon earn a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff tournament, they were eliminated in the quarter finals by eventual national champions, Ohio State, with a final score of 41-21. In each season of his collegiate career, excluding his 2021 season with UCF, which was ended after three games due to a shoulder injury, Gabriel has passed for at least 3,000 yards and has never thrown more than seven interceptions.

The Oregon Duck has proven to be a sure-armed signal-caller who can distribute the ball effectively, rarely turning the ball over in the process. With that being said, where will Gabriel land in the NFL later this month?

Where will Dillon Gabriel land in the 2025 NFL Draft?

While Gabriel is certainly an impressive prospect on film, his lack of measurables will likely keep him out of the discussion for a potential first-round selection alongside the likes of Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jaxson Dart. Expect Gabriel to be a second or third-round selection, going to a team that is interested in taking a chance on a young quarterback to compete for their starting position, or serve as a formidable backup to an already established starter.

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The latter will be the more likely scenario for Gabriel, perhaps with a team such as the New England Patriots. New England is firmly behind second-year quarterback Drake Maye for their 2025 campaign, but as Mike Luciano of Musket Fire points out, a union between the Patriots and Gabriel could be on the horizon.

"Gabriel's physical limitations may be the only thing keeping him out of the first few rounds," Luciano said.

"A six-year player with deadeye accuracy and the ability to avoid turnovers, Gabriel is let down by the lack of 5-10 left-handed quarterbacks with concerns about arm strength waddling around the NFL...Gabriel has found ways to make it work in college, and he could do more of the same in New England."

The Patriots signed Josh Dobbs to serve as Maye's primary backup quarterback next season. However, drafting Gabriel could provide for a fun and competitive backup quarterback competition in New England. Gabriel, who finished third in Heisman voting in 2024, could be a happy surprise for New England, or any NFL team that decides to draft him later this month, when it's all said and done.