The Cleveland Browns are no strangers to chaos at quarterback. They are coming off another wild offseason, a dramatic draft-day trade, and a carousel of signal-callers heading into 2025. It's safe to say the Browns are once again in quarterback purgatory. There’s hope on the horizon, though (believe it or not). As the 2025 college football season kicks off, there are two big-name prospects who should already be on Cleveland’s radar as the franchise prepares for what could be another defining draft in 2026.
Rebuild After Watson Mistake
The Browns were the last to know that Deshaun Watson was one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks. It had to be cathartic for Browns fans to hear owner Jimmy Haslam finally say the team “took a big swing and miss with Deshaun.” Everyone else knew that long ago. The Browns were in deep denial, clinging to a failed experiment while wasting prime years of a defense built to win.
But finally, there's change.
A key decision at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft was the unofficial start of reshaping the roster. The Browns passed on the chance to draft Colorado star Travis Hunter second overall and instead made a blockbuster trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The deal netted Cleveland the fifth overall pick and Jacksonville’s 2026 first-rounder. That was an aggressive but smart play to multiply their future draft capital. Giving up a generational talent like Hunter couldn’t have been easy, but if the Browns hit on the picks, it’ll be worth it.
Still, the rebuild hinges on one position: quarterback.
Focus Under Center
Cleveland is taking a shotgun approach this year, throwing everything at the wall in hopes something sticks. Joe Flacco is back as a 40-year-old stopgap. Kenny Pickett, once a first-rounder, is now a reclamation project. The Browns used a third-round pick on Dillon Gabriel and a fifth-round flyer on the polarizing Shedeur Sanders. It’s a long shot any of them is the future.
That said, if Sanders can rise from fourth on the depth chart to earn starts in 2025, Cleveland might become the most-watched team in football. Until then, the long road back continues.
Here we'll try to look at two players who are way-too-early 2026 NFL Draft prospects the Cleveland Browns must monitor.
The Headliner Cleveland Can’t Ignore
If Cleveland once again finds itself near the top of the draft board in 2026, quarterback Cade Klubnik must be at the forefront of their evaluation.
Klubnik enters the 2025 college football season as the projected QB1 in next spring’s draft class. The Clemson standout is fresh off a stellar campaign in which he threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. His performance in the College Football Playoff against Texas was gutsy and efficient. He posted 336 yards through the air and three touchdowns.
What separates Klubnik from the rest of the class is his command. He’s sharp in the pocket, decisive with his reads, and mobile enough to make plays off-script. There’s a bit of Baker Mayfield in him, which is some dose of irony, considering Cleveland once took Mayfield first overall in 2018. The difference is Klubnik’s mechanics are more refined, though. He’s already shown he can excel under pressure.
This fall will be pivotal. If Klubnik builds on his 2024 breakout, he could enter April 2026 as the consensus top quarterback. For a Browns franchise still trying to exorcise its quarterback demons, investing in a polished, pro-ready passer like Klubnik would be a logical move. This is especially true if Sanders, Gabriel, Pickett, and Flacco all fail to separate themselves in 2025.
High Ceiling, Hall-of-Fame Pedigree
Arch Manning is another one to watch. He has been on NFL radars since high school. That’s what happens when your last name is Manning. However, lineage only gets you so far. The Texas Longhorns quarterback still needs to prove he can deliver on the field week in and week out.
After backing up Quinn Ewers for two seasons, Manning is now expected to take over full-time in Austin. The flashes have been there, but 2025 will be the litmus test.
If he performs at a high level, Manning’s name could be in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick. That would be just like his uncle Peyton and his grandfather Archie. He’s not quite as tall as Eli or Peyton, but he makes up for that in mobility and improvisation.
This means that if Manning breaks out, he could be the kind of franchise quarterback worth moving up for. This is especially true if the Browns are drafting in the 5-to-10 range again. They already own the Jaguars’ 2026 first-rounder, giving them ammunition to make a move if needed.
The Quarterback Carousel Must End
Let’s be blunt: if you have four quarterbacks, you really have none.
Flacco is a placeholder. Pickett flamed out in Pittsburgh. Gabriel and Sanders were Day 2 and Day 3 fliers, not franchise-saving bets. The Browns are hoping someone breaks through in 2025, but they’re not banking on it.
That is why Klubnik and Manning need to be on Cleveland’s radar from day one of the college football season. Both offer upside, pedigree, and a chance at long-term stability. That’s something the Browns haven’t had since Bernie Kosar.
If either Klubnik or Manning takes a commanding step forward this fall, Cleveland must be ready to act in the 2026 NFL Draft. For a franchise that’s whiffed time and again under center, this may be their best chance to get it right.
