In the recent NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns surprised many by not selecting a quarterback in the first two rounds. The team was considered a strong candidate to take a QB after last year’s disaster, yet they waited to pick Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders later in the draft.
Gabriel and Sanders were selected in the third and fifth rounds, respectively. That means the Browns are not committed to any quarterback long-term. Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett will become free agents in 2026, and Gabriel and Sanders will earn less than $11 million combined over the next four seasons.
Given this situation, if nothing works out for the Browns this year, it’s very likely they’ll use a first-round pick on a quarterback in 2026 – especially since that draft class is expected to be rich in QB talent, unlike this year, when the top prospect at the position was Cam Ward, who was selected by the Tennessee Titans.
The Cleveland Browns could be interested in LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier
It’s worth noting that the Browns have significant draft capital for 2026, thanks to their trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected Travis Hunter. Kevin Stefanski’s team currently holds two first-round picks, so if they have another 3-14 season like last year, they’d be in a strong position to select a new leader at quarterback.
Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone projected that the Browns will indeed pick a quarterback – but not Arch Manning from the University of Texas, whom they would pass on. Instead, his pick for Cleveland is Garrett Nussmeier from LSU with the No. 2 overall selection. Bedinger placed Clemson’s Cade Klubnik as the No. 1 overall pick, going to the New Orleans Saints.
So, Bedinger passed on Arch Manning, who for now is not even a sure thing to declare for the next draft – especially if he follows the path of his uncles, Eli and Peyton Manning, who both completed full college careers.
As forc, he started 13 games last season, completing 64.2% of his passes for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. With those numbers, the LSU product is beginning to rise in value with just under a year to go before the 2026 Draft.
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