There is no sugarcoating just how brutal this preseason has been for Cleveland Browns fans. After months of battling, Deshaun Watson finally beat out Shedeur Sanders in the starting quarterback battle, a decision that has made fans question the very fiber of the organization's dynamics.
Here's the secret, though: Neither Watson nor Sanders, nor Dillon Gabriel or Taylen Green, for that matter, is going to save this franchise. Without counting our chickens before they hatch, the Browns will almost certainly be targeting a quarterback early next year in a loaded 2027 NFL Draft class.
Does this Cleveland roster have enough talent to avoid bottoming out during the 2026 NFL season? Absolutely. And they'll have no shortage of competitors to land cream-of-the-crop signal-callers next spring. But Andrew Berry can take matters into his own hands and finally solve the QB puzzle.
And in ESPN's latest mock draft, that's precisely what the Browns did for Oregon's Dante Moore.
Browns trade up for Oregon QB Dante Moore in ESPN 2027 NFL Mock Draft
It is quite rare that trades happen in mock drafts, especially in way-too-early exercises like the one ESPN's Jordan Reid posted on Wednesday. But he had Cleveland packaging its two first-rounders, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2027 fourth-rounder to move up from No. 4 to No. 1.
There, they took Moore.
"Moore has squeaky-clean mechanics, and his accuracy shined in his first year as a starter," Reid wrote. "This would be a good situation for him, with young players he can grow alongside. If he brings his stellar college play to the NFL, the Browns could turn things around quickly."
Moore was in the running for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as well, but he ultimately opted for a return to Oregon to play another college season. He'll be right back in the top pick conversation again next April, though, and the Browns are an obvious suitor.
Some have described Moore as a C.J. Stroud clone, and that is pretty apt. Cleveland could do far worse than having a player of that caliber under center, as Stroud has won a playoff game in each of his first three NFL seasons, and he'll probably get a big second contract with the Houston Texans.
Reid is also correct that Moore would be entering quite a stellar situation with the Browns, as they have a run game to lean on with a duo of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, and a trio of pass-catching weapons in KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Harold Fannin Jr.
Also, the offensive line is fairly new but is a work in progress and should be improved, especially over the coming years. Between that and Moore's elite arm talent, poise, quick processing ability, veteran-like feel for the game in the pocket and off-script playmaking ability, the Browns could have it made.
And if they don't completely tank the season, as some expect them to, then their extra first-round pick (courtesy of the Myles Garrett trade) could be an ace in the hole to help them slide up the board and get aggressive to find that quarterback of the future.
The Dawg Pound is pretty upset with how things have gone this preseason, and rightfully so. Berry has botched the quarterback position as badly as a general manager can. But in this mock draft, the Browns finally control their destiny and get a franchise player through aggressive maneuvers.
Let's just live in that headspace for a minute.
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