After a tumultuous 2025 rookie campaign, the jury is still out on Shedeur Sanders as the long-term solution under center for the Cleveland Browns.

But according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the problem might not be the quarterback, but the lack of infrastructure around him.

Despite a few promising flashes from Sanders, the unit finished near the bottom of every meaningful statistical category, plagued by a crumbling offensive line and a receiving corps that struggled to create separation.

In his latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft, Kiper provided a blueprint for the Cleveland front office, projecting the Browns to use their two first-round picks to give Sanders the protection and playmaking he lacked last season.

With the sixth overall pick, Kiper projects the Browns to select Utah tackle Spencer Fano. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 302 pounds, Fano is exactly what the doctor ordered for a Cleveland front that may be looking at four to five new starters in 2026.

Fano’s resume is staggering. Over 37 career games at Utah, he allowed just four sacks and notably, hasn’t surrendered one since Week 1 of the 2024 season.

His versatility is his greatest asset; he played both tackle spots for the Utes, showcasing the footwork and mauler mentality needed to protect Sanders’ blindside or secure the right edge alongside Dawand Jones.

For a Browns team that ranked middle-of-the-pack in pass protection, Fano represents a safe but high-ceiling foundational piece.

If Sanders is going to take the next step into the elite tier of NFL passers, he needs the three-plus seconds of pocket integrity that Fano provides.

While the Fano pick is about stability, the Browns’ second first-round selection (acquired via Jacksonville) is about pure, unadulterated electricity.

Kiper has Cleveland taking Georgia wideout Zachariah Branch at No. 24.

The Browns’ wide receiver room was historically stagnant in 2025, totaling a league-low 1,467 receiving yards. To put that in perspective, individual stars like Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba outgained the entire Cleveland WR corps by themselves.

Enter Branch. At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, he may not be a physical specimen in the mold of DK Metcalf, but his speed is game-breaking.

“No one can catch him when he gets into space,” Kiper noted in his analysis. “He has the ability to turn a quick pass into a big gain.”

Branch’s 81-catch, 811-yard season at Georgia only tells half the story.

His value as a vertical threat and a return specialist gives Cleveland a multi-dimensional weapon they haven’t possessed in years. In an AFC North that requires explosive plays to keep pace with the high-powered offenses of Baltimore and Cincinnati, Branch is the secret weapon that could unlock the Cleveland passing game.

By pairing a lockdown protector with a lightning-fast vertical threat, Cleveland looks to transform a bottom-tier offense into a modern powerhouse.

Whether that quarterback is Sanders, Deshaun Watson or someone else remains the million-dollar question, but regardless who is under center come Week 1, the offense needs a massive facelift.

By drafting Fano and Branch, the Browns are effectively removing the excuses for whoever takes the snaps. If it’s Sanders, he finally has the wall and the weapon to prove he’s a franchise cornerstone.

If it’s Watson, the team has provided a last-gasp infrastructure to salvage the most expensive contract in NFL history.

Either way, Kiper’s blueprint suggests the Browns are done waiting for a hero to fall into their lap; instead, they are meticulously engineering an environment where one can finally succeed.