Well, well, looky what we have here.

Dillon Gabriel, a Mililani product and Oregon Heisman Trophy finalist, isn’t being dismissed by NFL pundits anymore.

Pro Football Focus rates the left-handed slinger as the No. 3 QB and 68th player overall heading into April’s NFL Draft.

“I’ll bet Dillon Gabriel is going to be a “riser” over the next five months of the draft process,” NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic posted on X last month.

Given a low-round or UFA (undrafted free agent) grade while at Oklahoma — probably because of his height (5 feet, 101⁄2 inches), which is the same as Russell Wilson’s by the way — Gabriel exceeded his prove-it year with the Ducks.

Gabriel has always played the game with moxie. Whether it was at UCF, Oklahoma or Oregon, he was the turbocharger that made the offense go.

He’s now listed ahead of Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (No. 4), who some have mocked in the first round, as well as the two quarterbacks who will battling for the natty today — Will Howard (No. 5) and Riley Leonard (No. 6).

Only Cam Ward (1) and Shedeur Sanders (2) rate higher than Gabriel.

Ward always put fear in me when he played for Washington State against my Ducks. Sanders, I feel, holds the ball too long and gets sacked way too often for someone who’s considered mobile.

Milroe is another Anthony Richardson, unbelievably physically gifted but a better athlete than a quarterback right now.

Howard seems like someone whose confidence can waver. Leonard, who two seasons ago was ranked ahead of Michael Penix as a prospect, needs schooling as a passer.

Watching Gabriel throughout his college career, he attacked defenses down the field, much how Tua Tagovailoa did for Alabama.

Like Tua, Gabriel has a quick release, displays some zip and exhibits accuracy while in the pocket or on the run. Gabriel also has pocket awareness, is a shifty runner and knows how to play the position.

I thought he had better deep ball accuracy than Bo Nix, though the Broncos rookie might have disproved that notion. But Gabriel hit deep passes often. One ignited the Ducks offense against Boise State, others torched Ohio State in the team’s first meeting.

I said it before, I think Gabriel fits with the Dolphins, but who says he couldn’t be another Brock Purdy. I’m not saying he should be a high draft pick, but he should be picked.

PPF concurs. Gabriel’s 68th overall draft prospect ranking— however, the site has changed its big board rankings often, at least three time in the last few weeks — puts him in the third round.

Brugler, who in the summer had a low-round/UFA grade on Gabriel, has changed his opinion after more scouting.

“I admit, I wasn’t very high on the lefty passer at first, either,” Brugler wrote last month. “But after returning to his tape gradually throughout this season, I found it easy to gain an appreciation for the way he plays. A quick-footed athlete, Gabriel consistently throws with anticipation and accuracy, and the ball comes off his hand much better than expected.”

It’s easy to get overlooked when one’s physical profile doesn’t meet the required measurables.

It’s also easy to overrate a prospect who boasts them.

Penn State’s Drew Allar, 6-5 and 236, was talked about as a future first-rounder his freshman year. Even at the end of the season, some wondered that if he led the Nittany Lions to a title, he could be projected as this year’s No. 1 pick.

But in the semifinals against Notre Dame, he made four poor passes and decisions. He threw a pass at a running back’s knees on what would have been an easy 3-yard TD toss, forcing PSU to kick a field goal. Two other poorly underthrown passes were intercepted but overturned by Irish penalties. His fourth poor decision resulted in an interception that allowed Notre Dame to kick the winning field goal. He also threw an interception that sealed Oregon’s win in the Big Ten Championship.

Allar, however, is returning to Happy Valley to play another season, joining the team’s dynamic duo running backs. Allar has another year to change opinions, and do what Gabriel did with his extra year.

Gabriel, however, has been proving he could excel playing the position his entire college career. It was just disregarded, until now.

“Go ahead, count out Gabriel — he’s used to it,” Brugler wrote. “ But he has the football-playing instincts to overcome his diminutive size, and his arm and mobility are good enough for the next level. I’m not saying Gabriel will be a first-round pick like this year’s other Heisman finalists. In my opinion, though, he is a better NFL prospect than Stetson Bennett, who was drafted in Round 4. Gabriel is innately confident and obsessed with winning — two qualities that will help him connect with NFL coaches throughout the process.”

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Reach Curtis Murayama at cmurayama@staradvertiser.com.