Less than a month into the NFL season, it’s already impossible to avoid the Browns’ quarterback future. That might sound premature, but Cleveland has been pointing toward the 2027 offseason for a while now, and the latest expert quarterback poll only makes the path look clearer.
Andrew Berry has already said the team is still an offseason away from being more aggressive. With young talent stockpiled on both sides of the ball and two first-round picks in hand for the second straight year, the Browns have set themselves up to finally attack the position that has haunted them for decades.
The draft order still has a long way to settle, and whether Cleveland ends up with a top-five pick is anyone’s guess. But ESPN’s Pete Thamel asked 25 NFL scouts who they believe will be the top quarterback in the upcoming draft, and the answers suggest this class could give the Browns more than one way to solve the problem.
Most of the scouts landed on Dante Moore and Arch Manning, with LaNorris Sellers, Sam Leavitt, and CJ Carr also drawing votes. Beyond that, the list gets even deeper. Scouts also pointed to late first-round possibilities like Darian Mensah, Trinidad Chambliss, Drew Mestemaker, John Mateer, Julian Sayin, Josh Hoover, Desmond Williams Jr., Nico Iamaleava, Jayden Maiava, and even Brendan Sorsby as prospects with franchise-level upside.
That kind of depth matters because the Browns may not need to be locked into one name this early. Some of those quarterbacks will climb into the top 10 conversation.
Others could slide out of the first round entirely. The board will sort itself out in time, and there’s no reason to force a verdict now.
What makes this different for Cleveland is the number of paths available. The Rams’ first-round pick should be one of the least valuable unless something unexpected happens, but the Browns can pair it with their own first-rounder and move up if they want a specific quarterback. They could also trade down, add more picks, and still come away with a franchise-caliber passer.
For an organization that has spent years finding new ways to frustrate its fans, that kind of flexibility is rare. This time, the Browns don’t just have hope. They have options, and a draft setup that would take a massive mistake to waste.
In Other News...
Browns Fans Can Already See Where This QB Talk Might Be Going
The latest Browns quarterback chatter is already drifting beyond the usual offseason noise, and it centers on a name that naturally grabs attention in Cleveland: Arch Manning. According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, an NFL personnel executive says owner Jimmy Haslam wants the Texas quarterback, while Deshaun Watson reportedly wants out, adding another layer to a situation that has been unsettled for a while.
ESPN Clevelands Tony Rizzo also reported that Haslam is pursuing Nick Saban for a non-coaching role that could potentially align with Manning, which only adds to the sense that the Browns long-term direction is being discussed in more than one room. None of it amounts to a confirmed plan to draft Manning or bring in Saban, but the speculation alone is enough to make fans wonder whether the next major Browns move is already taking shape behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]
Quinshon Judkins Just Made One Browns Concern Even Harder To Ignore
Quinshon Judkins entered the 2025 season with a chance to reset the conversation around Clevelands ground game, especially after the Browns invested in improving the offensive line. Instead, his opener offered more of the same concern from last year, when his rookie rushing production trended the wrong way and the efficiency never quite matched the expectations around him.
The line did its part in Week 1, ranking seventh in run-block win rate, which makes Judkins 2.8 yards per carry harder to brush off as a blocking issue. For a Browns offense that wants stability and balance, the question is getting tougher by the week: whether the problem is the support around him, or whether Cleveland is now looking at a back whose own play is becoming the bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Is Closing In On A Browns Mark Fans Dread
Deshaun Watsons latest stretch in Cleveland has put an unwelcome number on the board for the Browns. After six straight losses as the teams starting quarterback, he heads into an upcoming matchup with the Buccaneers carrying the kind of momentum no quarterback wants, and the possibility of adding another defeat to a skid that has already lingered longer than anyone around the team would like.
If the streak reaches seven, it would stand as the longest by a Browns quarterback since DeShone Kizers 15-game slide in 2017, a reminder of how quickly quarterback frustration can become part of the franchise backdrop. Watson has stayed publicly upbeat through it, expressing confidence and a determination to keep improving, but the longer the losses pile up, the more attention turns from what he says to what the Browns can actually reverse on the field. [Read more 🡒]