The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have kept Kyle Trask on ice as a backup quarterback for the last 4 seasons — ever since they essentially wasted a second round pick on him in the 2021 NFL draft.
With Trask’s contract up after the 2024 season, it might be time to switch things up.
That’s why the Buccaneers should look to the 2025 NFL draft to bring in another backup quarterback for 2-time Pro Bowler Baker Mayfield, and one that seems like he might perfectly fit that mold would be Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, the NCAA FBS career record holder for starts (63), touchdown passes (156) and total touchdowns (190).
Interestingly enough, Gabriel and Trask aren’t too far apart in age — Trask is 26 years old and Gabriel will turn 25 years old this year. That’s because Gabriel was a full-time starter for 6 college football seasons at 3 different schools. He played his first 3 seasons at UCF, 2 seasons at Oklahoma and 1 season at Oregon in 2024, when he was named Big Ten Most Valuable Player and a unanimous All-American.
The Buccaneers could likely get Gabriel in the later rounds as well, meaning that he’s also a financially attractive option for a team lacking much salary cap space in 2025.
Gabriel Impressed Scouts at Senior Bowl
Gabriel led Oregon to an undefeated regular season and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff in 2024 by throwing for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while also rushing for 7 touchdowns.
He followed that with an impressive performance in the Senior Bowl on February 1 and the practices leading up to the game, when one of his throws was clocked at 74.9 mph, breaking the previous record of 62 mph set by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III.
“Although it is apparent that Gabriel is one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft, there is concern about his size,” Sports Illustrated’s Olivia Cleary wrote on February 2. “Gabriel is the shortest quarterback in the 2025 draft class, standing at 5-11. NFL teams may hesitate to draft a short quarterback due to concerns about field vision, pass deflections, durability, and pocket effectiveness. However, Gabriel is not letting conversations surrounding his size get to him.”
Similarities Between Gabriel and Baker Mayfield
Gabriel’s experience shouldn’t be overlooked headed into the NFL draft process — the top 2 rookie quarterbacks in the NFL in 2024 also had a massive amount of college starts.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels started 55 games over 5 seasons at Arizona State and LSU. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix started 61 games over 5 seasons at Auburn and Oregon.
“Gabriel plays with good poise and calmness inside the pocket, stepping up to avoid collapsing edge pressure,” Bleacher Report’s Dame Parson wrote. “He throws a catchable ball with a combination of velocity and touch. Due to his litany of snaps/experience, the game has slowed down for him, and he can play at maximum speed. He is highly effective on RPO play calls, reading defensive leverages, and false steps on the second level. Gabriel’s ball placement is a strength of his game; he protects receivers and rarely throws them into incoming defenders or high-traffic areas.”
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