The NFL Draft is full of unexpected twists and turns, shocking selections and puzzling slides. Almost no one knows what will happen when the three-day, seven-round event kicks off each year.
Thanks to the help of some birds, new Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel did.
In a video posted on Instagram by the NFL and the Browns, Gabriel is seen standing above a forest area near his home in Hawaii. The quarterback makes several bird sounds by cupping his hands to his mouth, resulting in similar responses from nearby birds. When asked what the birds said back to him, Gabriel gives a prediction for where he'd be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft.
"Cleveland Browns, 94," Gabriel said. "That's what he said."
One day later, surrounded by his family at a draft party, the Browns selected Gabriel with the No. 94 overall pick. He subsequently got his life-changing call from Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski, where the two exchanged excitement that Gabriel would be joining the franchise.
Gabriel spent the 2024 season at Oregon, where he led the Ducks to a 13-1 record, a Big Ten Championship and an appearance in the Rose Bowl.
While it's more likely that Stefanski, general manager Andrew Berry and the Browns organization told Gabriel ahead of time that they would take him with the No. 94 overall pick if he was still available, Gabriel was still able to show off a hidden talent that separates him from other NFL players.
Who knows? Maybe the Browns can develop some bird sound-related audibles that confuse opposing defenses as well.
