Two Hawaii players — Oregon quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel and Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea — were selected during a stunning second day of the NFL Draft on Friday.
Their selections were overshadowed nationally by a shocking development in which Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a projected first-round pick, was not selected at all after two days and three rounds of the draft. The draft will continue today with rounds four through seven.
Instead, Gabriel of Mililani and Savaiinaea of Saint Louis got to celebrate their selections.
Savaiinaea was selected by the Miami Dolphins early in the second round, while Gabriel was selected near the end of the day in the third round.
“Dillon Gabriel, I got to talk to him a couple times,” analyst Louis Riddick said during the ESPN telecast of the draft. “You’ll love the kid. You will love Dillon Gabriel.”
As for Savaiinaea, Riddick said: “When he played right guard, he looked like an All-Pro. He’s got flex. He’s got movement. For 324 pounds, he’s a dancing bear at guard. He has Pro Bowl potential at guard.”
Savaiinaea, 21, who is 6 feet 4 and 324 pounds, was selected 37th overall after the Dolphins traded up with the Las Vegas Raiders in order to pick the versatile lineman who played guard and tackle for the Wildcats.
At Miami he will be blocking for another former Saint Louis star, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
“He can get outside, he can pull. When the pads are low and playing with the right technique, I thought the results were pretty impressive,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said on the televised broadcast. “Footwork for his size, I thought was outstanding. … The versatility to play both tackle and guard adds to the value for a Miami Dolphins team … (where) Tua’s the king. He’s the franchise.”
Savaiinaea, a Star-Advertiser All-State selection in 2021, had an outstanding showing at the NFL Combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.95 seconds and ran the short shuttle in 4.66, one of the fastest for offensive linemen at the combine. He also bench-pressed 225 pounds 26 times during the Arizona Pro Day.
He had reported team visits with the Bengals, Bears and Vikings.
At Arizona, he started 12 games at right guard and was selected by Pro Football Focus as a first-team All-True Freshman in 2022. The next season he played right guard and right tackle. He played left tackle in 2024. He was named to the Big 12 fall academic honor roll in 2024.
Gabriel, who will turn 25 on Dec. 28, was selected in the third round, 94th overall, by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns’ QB room consists of Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco.
The Browns and the division they play in (with Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati) play their games outdoors and often in cold weather.
Before the Rose Bowl game against Ohio State, the engaging Gabriel was interviewed about playing in Pasadena and said, “We love the Rose Bowl. We love the warm weather. I think we should play more football on nice grass instead of artificial stuff. The more sun the better. Why do we do it to ourselves? Do fans want to sit in the snow and the rain?”
The 5-foot-101⁄2, 205-pound left-hander was the fifth quarterback taken in the draft, behind Cam Ward (Miami, first overall by the Titans), Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss, 25th overall by the Giants), Tyler Shough (Louisville, second round, 40th overall by the Saints) and Jalen Milroe (Alabama, third round, 92nd overall by the Seahawks). Dart said he and Gabriel had worked out together in California.
Gabriel guided three universities in his six-year college career — Central Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon.
“He’s a winner, bottom line,” Kiper said. “He’s a winner to UCF. Go back to 2019, they were 9-3 with Dillon Gabriel under center. Then he goes to Oklahoma, second year there, 2022, he’s 10-2. He’s 69%, 30 touchdowns, six picks with 12 rushing touchdowns. Go to Oregon, 13-1, 73%, 30 touchdowns, six interceptions, seven rushing touchdowns. This kid throws a catchable ball. He’s 5-11, 205, so size isn’t what you want. … you can get away with it in the NFL now, he’ll be fine. Timing, touch passes, super accurate, precise with the football. He’s got that ability to beat you with his legs. Dillon Gabriel is a nice quarterback. No question about it.”
Added Riddick: “Smooth in the pocket, fluid, can throw from different platforms, good field vision, smart, touch, good decision-making, adequate arm strength, accuracy over the middle, throws a nice deep ball, anticipation, poise composure. Sounds like the things you want in a quarterback, right?”
Gabriel, the All-State Offensive Player of the Year in 2018, was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year while leading the Ducks to an unbeaten regular season before losing in the College Football Playoffs to eventual champion Ohio State. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, behind Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty, both of whom were picked within the first six picks on Thursday.
Gabriel completed his career with an NCAA record for most career total touchdowns at 189, surpassing the previous record of 178 set by Case Keenum. Gabriel’s 18,722 passing yards is second most in NCAA history to Keenum’s 19,217.
