ESPN analyst predicts Shedeur Sanders to finish last behind Dillon Gabriel among rookie QBs in production for 2025 season

It's still unclear who the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback will be when the 2025 NFL season begins, especially since Deshaun Watson is still recovering from an Achilles injury. There are presently four options available to the team, and two of them were selected as mid to late-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

Dillon Gabriel of Oregon was taken by Cleveland in the third round, and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders was added with a fifth-round selection. The two rookies are joined by veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco in the Browns' quarterback room.

While it's still not sure who will ultimately take the QB1 role to start the season for Cleveland, there are some experts who believe the rookies will battle it out while the veterans will take a backseat.

According to an ESPN piece on Wednesday, analyst Mike Clay thinks the former Oregon signal-caller will end up outperforming Sanders in terms of numbers this season. In his ranking of the rookie quarterbacks who will have the best stats in 2025, Clay ranked the No. 1 pick Cam Ward first with 3,392 yards and 20 touchdowns in 15 starts.

The analyst ranks New Orleans Saints' Tyler Shough, selected in the second round, as No. 2 in his projection. Shough has been predicted to be the Saints' starting quarterback following Derek Carr's retirement. According to Clay, he will have 3,020 yards and 13 touchdowns in 13 starts.

Clay ranks Jaxson Dart, the No. 25 pick, in third place, predicting that the New York Giants' rookie will end with 1,968 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine starts.

Mike Clay projects Dillon Gabriel to finish fourth with 1,205 yards and five touchdowns in five starts. After that, he put Shedeur Sanders in fifth position with four touchdowns and 925 yards in four starts.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski has refused to reveal who will start for the Browns in 2025

The Cleveland Browns have five quarterbacks on their roster as the 2025 NFL season approaches, including two rookies.

When asked if there is a front-runner for the quarterback position right now during an appearance on "The Ken Carman Show With Anthony Lima" on Friday, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said,

"Yeah, I'm not willing to tell you.

“I got the quarterback question only 30 times or so from the kids. It’s more, ‘Hey, you got four of them, who's starting?' I said, 'It’s early, guys. Let’s get through the offseason,'” Stefanski added.

We will likely know who will start at center for the Browns before their regular season begins on September 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.