The 2025 NFL Draft saw the Cleveland Browns bring in two rookie quarterbacks. They drafted former Oregon star Dillon Gabriel in the third round and backed up that pick with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round.
Both quarterbacks have major potential and talent. However, there are legitimate questions about whether or not they’re the kind of quarterbacks who can be the team’s long-term franchise quarterback.
Looking ahead to the future, the Browns may have some tough decisions to make.
More than likely, the team will have at least one high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. There is a chance that they could have two of them after acquiring the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick in the trade this year that sent Travis Hunter to the Jaguars.
With the 2026 draft class being loaded with quarterback potential, it’s possible Cleveland could look for another young quarterback.
That is what Tony Grossi, an insider covering the Browns, has projected.
“The 2026 draft will have multiple QBs graded much higher than Gabriel and Sanders. With two first-round picks at their disposal, the Browns will have the means to select one of them,” Grossi wrote. “I just can’t see the Browns allowing the 2026 QB draft pass them by – no matter what Gabriel and Sanders are able to accomplish this season. It doesn’t mean Gabriel and Sanders will be discarded. They’ll be back no matter what.”
If that projection comes true, it would be very bad news for both Gabriel and Sanders. Both players are talented, but if Cleveland used a top-10 pick in 2026 on a quarterback, their futures could become very cloudy.
At this point, the top quarterback prospects for 2026 are Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier, LaNorris Sellers, and Sam Leavitt.
Andrew Berry and the Browns have to find a franchise quarterback. It’s possible that either Gabriel or Sanders could get on the field this year and prove that they can be that guy. Or, it is also possible that neither signal caller shows that kind of talent in year one, and Cleveland moves on to another option quickly.
Only time will tell, but the Browns are still in a rough position. Until they find a quarterback, success will remain just out of reach.
Hopefully, that answer comes this year rather than next, but the 2026 draft is worth taking note of when it comes to quarterbacks for Cleveland.
