The Cleveland Browns are in familiar territory. They are one of the worst teams in the entire NFL, the coaching staff is on the verge of getting fired, and the lack of quality quarterback play is once again sinking this team.
Even with a very good defense and a boatload of extra picks in the draft due to the Travis Hunter/Mason Graham trade, none of that will matter until Cleveland can land a quarterback who can consistently get them back to the postseason. Luckily, this class has some promising players to choose from.
Even though Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are doing everything they can to convince Cleveland they can take this team to the next level, the NFL mock draft prognosticators out there believe that Cleveland will likely abandon the thought of moving forward with them under center.
Browns find franchise quarterback in 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup
Keith Sanchez, The Draft Network: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Mendoza seems to be running away from Alabama's Ty Simpson and Oregon's Dante Moore in the race to be QB1 next year, as teams like the Browns might be too enticed by his big arm, accuracy down the field, and improved playmaking out of structure.
Cody Williams, FanSided: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
At 6-5 and almost 230 pounds, Mendoza will be a sharp change from someone in Gabriel who is a historic outlier size-wise at the quarterback position. Going from Cal to Indiana gave him some experience playing in adverse weather and against better competition.
Jeff Risdon, The Draft Wire: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Of the consensus Top 3 prospects, Mendoza might be the most well-equipped to jump into the lineup as a Week 1 starter. If the Browns can fix their horrible offensive line, Mendoza might be able to have an immediate impact on this offense.
Mike Renner, CBS Sports: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Even with Mendoza on the board, some believe Simpson might be QB1. Despite his skinny frame and one year of starting experience, Simpson's sharp football brain and ability to reel off chunk plays without turning the ball over will make him very attractive.
Matt Miller, ESPN: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
In this exercise, Mendoza was off the board. Trading up to No. 2 overall, the Browns could lean on Moore's rocket arm, tremendous accuracy on shorter throws, and ability to quickly process defenses from the pocket to improve their quarterback room the second he touches down.