After months of speculation, the only quarterback move the Cleveland Browns made through the first two major phases of the offseason was a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That’s no knock on Taylen Green’s tantalizing talents as a dual-threat quarterback at Arkansas. Browns head coach Todd Monken spent the past three seasons working with Lamar Jackson as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator. Of all the late-round dart throws the Browns could have taken on Day 3 of the draft, Green definitely made the most sense for Cleveland.
In the short term, the Browns’ decision to add Green to a depth chart that includes Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel shouldn’t affect much at the top. If the Browns felt Green was ready to come in and compete for what’s being billed as an open quarterback competition in Berea, they wouldn’t have waited until pick No. 182 overall to draft him.
That’s not going to stop the speculation surrounding the team’s uncertain depth chart, especially as it pertains to 2027. Nicholas Rome of FanSided’s Saturday Blitz recently put together a way-too-early 2027 mock draft, and his pick for the Browns is something fans should prepare for now.
Rome projects Cleveland to once again pick inside the top 10 (shocker) and target quarterback Darian Mensah, who will play for the Miami Hurricanes in 2026 after transferring from Duke.
“The Browns trio of QBs all have flaws, and the best approach would be giving Todd Monken a young signal caller in Darian Mensah to develop long-term,” Rome said. “After starting his career at Tulane, Mensah was elite at Duke, and he now joins a loaded Miami team. Mensah should explode with Malachi Toney and Cooper Barkate as his receivers, sending his stock through the moon.”
The Browns’ current QB situation is only fueling what’s coming next
Rome is just doing his job. Experts across the board will expect Cleveland to draft a quarterback on Day 1 of the 2027 draft, and that's likely all fans will hear about over the next 12 months.
That class will be as loaded at the position as any in recent memory. Rome’s mock had Texas’ Arch Manning, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, and Oregon’s Dante Moore going off the board ahead of Mensah to the Browns. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellars were other QBs mocked to teams inside the top 10.
If the Browns are in range for one of those guys, something went terribly wrong. Even with Green entering the mix, Sanders has the best opportunity to seize the moment and prove he can be the team’s long-term answer. The arrow should be pointing up on Sanders as he enters Monken's offseason program as the presumptive starter.
As a fifth-round draft pick, Sanders brings the team undeniable financial value. He would be the cheapest starting quarterback in the NFL this year if he can beat out Watson. Sanders is under contract through the 2028 season, and won’t earn more than $1.3 million in real cash in any of those years, per Spotrac. He won’t even be eligible for an extension next year.
It’s possible that Monken has bigger plans for Sanders than the NFL world realizes. In the meantime, it’s going to be nothing but quarterback chatter in early expert mock drafts for the Browns until Sanders can prove that he’s the guy.
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