Dillon Gabriel’s draft stock has always lived in the tension between résumé and reality. The consensus around the Oregon Ducks QB1 entering April is that he’s a Day 3 selection—an impressive, well-traveled collegiate winner with a catalog of highlight throws and leadership moments, but also a player whose NFL projection is anything but clean. Standing at 5 feet 11, Gabriel isn’t exactly the prototype. Still, when you stack his achievements—UCF breakout, Oklahoma heroics, and a crisp, surgical season at Oregon—he might as well be 6’5”. But GMs aren’t drafting accomplishments; they’re drafting tools, upside, and the ability to survive in a league that feasts on anything under standard size. That’s where things get tricky.

The NFL rumor mill isn’t done spinning on Dillon Gabriel, and the chatter is getting real in a particular quarterback room where former first-overall pick Bryce Young isn’t the only concern. That team’s brass is reportedly doing its homework on depth options behind their franchise signal-caller, especially with protection issues still unresolved and long-term questions surrounding durability. It’s led to some connecting the dots with Gabriel—whose playing style, body type, and even durability profile evoke comparisons to another former Alabama standout: Tua Tagovailoa.

With Tua, concussions have become a serious storyline. With Gabriel, the worry is more preemptive: can a 5’11”, 200-pound quarterback take repeated NFL punishment and still deliver the same off-script brilliance that’s become his calling card? Some insiders see it. Clean Pocket’s Jay Gruden and Colt McCoy were blunt in their breakdown. “I think he throws the ball well on the run—that may be one of the best attributes I can give him,” Colt McCoy said. “He can’t see. He’s always out of the pocket. And if he’s in the pocket all the time, tip balls everywhere, right? That’s a big minus. When he gets out of the pocket, this dude can rip it.” McCoy said, noting Gabriel’s extensive track record.

“This dude has won everywhere he’s been. Went to Central Florida…went to Oklahoma, beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl, and then had a ton of success at Oregon… At least the regular season, they were phenomenal.” They acknowledge his college legacy, but that’s exactly where they say it ends. “He’s college quarterback skill set… great. He’s an elite college quarterback. Gets the ball out.” That final sentence rings as both praise and indictment.

And yet, there’s that smoke—persistent and pointed. The $4.5B-worth Carolina Panthers, the one with a brand-new coaching staff and the league’s smallest QB1, is reportedly circling Gabriel in the fifth round, with eyes on pick No. 140. It’s less about replacing Bryce Young and more about hedging against volatility—adding an arm that could double as a developmental project or, in the event of injury or ineffectiveness, a potential long-term solution. But that interest comes with concern. Joshua Edwards raised a critical question: is a team walking into a QB controversy by adding Gabriel to a room where optics already loom large?

Back in Eugene, Dan Lanning used Dillon Gabriel in a different kind of way—one that doesn’t rely on projections, only proof. At Oregon’s 2025 Pro Day, Gabriel took the field alongside Bo Nix and Justin Herbert, and Lanning made it clear the Ducks’ quarterback legacy is more than just nostalgia. “Being able to see the way Dillon competed on the field or his ability to keep a great temperament in the middle of a game—I think all those things benefited those guys.” Gabriel may not be Oregon’s future anymore, but he’s being used as a blueprint for how to approach the position—preparation, poise, and presence under pressure.

Still, the critique won’t go away quietly. There are whispers of too much tread on the tires. Gabriel has played more football than most prospects in this draft class—his experience is both badge and baggage. And while he’s proved he can win at every level, the NFL has a cruel way of redefining success. As for now, Gabriel waits. Meanwhile, Panthers (and others) weigh fit versus friction and projection versus polish.

Could Dillon Gabriel be the Seahawks’ Lefty hope in a draft reset?

Welcome to the Mike Macdonald era in Seattle—and boy, it’s a fresh chapter. With Geno Smith and DK Metcalf both shipped out this offseason, the Seahawks are officially rebooting. Gone are the Pete Carroll days. In comes a younger, defensive-minded head coach looking to reshape the roster in his image. And that starts with the draft.

So we turned to the Pro Football Focus NFL Mock Draft Simulator to see how Seattle might get this new era rolling—and one mid-round pick definitely raised eyebrows. With Round 4, Pick 137, the Seahawks going for Dillon Gabriel. Now, this isn’t a flashy pick, but it’s one packed with upside. At 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, Gabriel isn’t your prototypical NFL QB, but hey—neither was Russell Wilson, and we all know how that turned out.

“At some point, the Seahawks must also take a young quarterback to develop,” the mock noted. And Gabriel fits the bill. He’s older, productive, and brings a unique left-handed style to the field. And yet—sometimes that’s exactly how stories begin.