Cleveland Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel is easily one of the shortest quarterbacks you’ll see in the NFL today. Yet, he was still good for 94th overall in this year’s draft.
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The Browns’ coaching staff and front office have brushed off the height concern as well, pointing out how sub-6-foot QBs like Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray have found plenty of success in the league. And they’ve got a point. Russ not only won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks but also led them back the very next year. So, height clearly isn’t holding Gabriel back.
Still, when you see him standing next to taller quarterbacks like Justin Herbert, the difference is hard to miss. In fact, it’s night and day. A recent photo of the two even had fans cracking jokes online … with one saying the Herbert-Gabriel duo looked similar to the viral snap of 6’2″ Taylor Swift in heels standing next to 5’5″ Bruno Mars.
“Dude looks like Bruno Mars standing next to Taylor Swift lmao,” they penned.
dude looks like bruno mars standing next to taylor swift lmao pic.twitter.com/LmlbxFM5uO
— DK (@dk0321_) October 19, 2025
Someone even questioned Gabriel’s listed height, saying, “5’11” my a**.”
“Looks like he could be Herbert’s son,” a third one quipped. “5’9 lol he’s a little shrimp,” another chimed in.
However, some fans also came to Gabriel’s defense: “And he’s a starting QB for an NFL team. Cmon, we don’t short shame. We short Stan.”
Bo Nix stands next to Gabriel and Herbert in the photo, and he’s listed at 6’2″, while Gabriel measures 5’11”. As for Herbert, he’s a solid 6’6″ … pretty much the prototype height you’d want in an NFL quarterback. Guys like Trevor Lawrence and Joe Flacco also fit that mold.
Meanwhile, Russell Wilson is also 5’11”, and Kyler Murray, who gets roasted one week and toasted the next, stands an inch shorter at 5’10”.
There’s always been chatter that sub-six-foot quarterbacks struggle to see their receivers over taller defensive linemen. If that’s true, it’s easy to see why some people hesitate when it comes to shorter QBs.
But Gabriel hasn’t shown any of those issues so far. He was the highest-graded passer in the Big Ten by PFF College in 2024, and those flashes have carried over into the NFL. His Browns are hosting the Dolphins this week, and Gabriel already has his team up 17-6 before halftime.
