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Mason Graham, DT, Michigan poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected 5th overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Browns Get Bleak Prediction in Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Originally posted on Cleveland Browns on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 10:51 AM ET

After a surprising 11-6 run in the 2023 NFL season that saw the Cleveland Browns return to the postseason, they took a massive step back last year, landing back in the basement of the AFC North after going 3-14. That mark gave them one of the worst records in the entire league and granted them the second-overall pick in the 2025 draft.

While they didn't actually use that selection, they did take advantage of it, trading down to five with the Jacksonville Jaguars and netting an extra second-rounder and Jacksonville's 2026 first in the process. For a team with a lot of holes on its roster, the Browns need as much draft capital as they can get in the near future.

That made the class they ended up coming away with this past spring extra confounding. They got off to a strong start, taking defensive tackle Mason Graham and linebacker Carson Schwesinger with their first two picks. After that, they spent their next five selections on offense: running back Quinshon Judkins (no. 36), tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (no. 67), quarterback Dillon Gabriel (no. 94), running back Dylan Sampson (no. 126), and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (no. 144).

Browns predicted to restart quarterback search in 2026 NFL Draft

Following Deshaun Watson's re-rupture of his Achilles tendon during rehab last winter, the Cleveland Browns knew they'd have to identify a new starting quarterback for the 2025 NFL season. They brought in four different candidates to vie for the vacated QB1 spot: free agent Joe Flacco, trade acquisition Kenny Pickett, fifth-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel, and 144th-overall selection Shedeur Sanders.

It seems that Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and the Browns staff don't have much confidence in their rookie gunslingers, having named Flacco the Week 1 starter, despite Gabriel and Sanders putting up impressive preseason debuts. However, there's still hope that one of Cleveland's young quarterbacks can overtake Flacco on the depth chart at some point during the campaign.

ESPN's Field Yates hasn't been moved by what he's seen from Gabriel and Sanders so far, though. In his latest 2026 NFL mock draft, he projected that Cleveland would restart their quarterback competition all over again next year by selecting Texas Longhorns star Arch Manning:

"Yes, Archie Manning recently stated that his grandson will stay at Texas for at least two seasons, a belief many in the scouting community share. But ultimately, Arch is eligible to declare in 2026, and if he performs up to his potential, he might just have to consider the NFL leap in this coming draft class. So I'm including him ... for now.

Manning has a very good build, throws with accuracy to all levels of the field and shows solid movement traits. He's a different QB than his uncles Peyton and Eli were in that he is a threat with his legs. He is inexperienced and needs to add more weight to his 6-foot-4 frame, but it's easy to see his immense ceiling. I know the Browns just drafted two passers this year, but if they are picking first overall next year, then yes, they'll be taking a quarterback."

Not only is Yates predicting that the Browns will finish the season without any confidence in any of their young quarterbacks, but he's also insinuating that they'll finish at the bottom of the league once again. Grabbing an electric prospect like Arch Manning might be an exciting thought, but doing so with the first-overall pick in 2026 would be a disastrous outcome for Cleveland.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Browns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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