The Cleveland Browns have often been known for the NFL Draft over the entirety of the 21st century, often for all the wrong reasons. The team has become notorious for selecting massive draft busts. They’ve owned the first overall pick on numerous occasions, too, and they’ve had varying results with the top selection.
Their draft experience in 2025 was interesting because they walked away with two rookie quarterbacks: Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Neither first-year quarterback has established himself as the franchise signal caller, and the team could end up taking another gunslinger, especially because they will be picking near the top of the draft board yet again in 2026 after a disappointing year.
Regardless of how the Browns feel about their current quarterback situation, the team actually had a pretty successful 2025 NFL Draft process. They walked away with Mason Graham at pick five, Carson Schwesinger may very well end up as the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Quinshon Judkins was one of the best first-year offensive players before he went down with a season-ending injury. Harold Fannin has even emerged as a potential star.
The Browns will need a similarly impressive draft if they are to escape league bottom-dweller status. Luckily, as has often been the case over the years, Cleveland has tons of draft capital. They have two first-round selections and four total picks within the first 67 draft choices. So, let’s look at the PFF simulator to mock what Cleveland can do within the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Positions of need for the Browns in the 2026 NFL Draft
The first overall pick will likely either go to the Las Vegas Raiders or the New York Giants. The Browns will likely be picking soon thereafter, though. They have plenty of needs that need to be addressed. As mentioned earlier, it isn’t a guarantee that Cleveland will move forward with either of their first-year quarterbacks. Elite QB prospects are always selected near the top of the draft, so the Browns might not be able to afford passing on a signal caller while they are up there.
Whoever is throwing the football will need a reinforced offensive line. Cleveland couldn’t keep their quarterbacks upright this year, so they will need upgrades at both guard and tackle. A potential quarterback draftee will also need more pass-catching help. Harold Fannin lines up outside on occasion, but he is a tight end by trade. There aren’t many great receivers on the offense.
Jerry Jeudy is a premier route runner, but he has never quite lived up to expectations. Isaiah Bond and Cedric Tillman are solid, but they might be more complementary pieces. The Browns should draft another receiver in 2026. Offense is the priority, but they should also look for defensive help in the form of a pass-rushing partner to pair opposite Myles Garrett. Teams are forced to double or triple-team the soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year. If they couldn’t do that because there was another elite sack artist on Cleveland’s defensive front, Garrett could put up video game-like numbers.
Browns improve the passing attack, trenches in draft simulator
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
2026 NFL Mock Draft simulator results
- QB Fernando Mendoza – Indiana – 3rd overall
- OT Caleb Lomu – Utah – 27th overall
- WR Elijah Sarratt – Indiana – 35th overall
- CB A.J. Harris – Penn State – 67th overall
The PFF draft simulator proves that the Browns might not be comfortable going forward with their current quarterback situation. Fernando Mendoza is viewed by many as the number one pick, so Cleveland would have to scoop him up if he fell to pick three. The Indiana quarterback won the Heisman Trophy, and he has the College Football Playoff national championship as the next goal in his crosshairs.
The Browns have already had 42 different starting quarterbacks this century, but the team has to keep taking swings until they get the most important position in football right. Mendoza has the skill set to finally end the ever-revolving door at the position. He has an incredibly high football IQ. Mendoza also has three-level accuracy. His arm strength isn’t generational, but it is sufficient enough. Mendoza could very well boost his draft stock higher than it already is with a great College Football Playoff run, too.
Regardless of who his throwing the football in Cleveland, the team will need to revamp the offensive line to ensure their quarterback can be upright. Often this year, Sanders and Gabriel were spending more time avoiding pressure than looking down the field. While Mendoza does have a great pocket presence and the ability to deliver strikes down the field even when a pass rush is in his face, he’d certainly be happy about the Browns drafting one of the top offensive tackles in the draft. Lomu is positionally versatile, so he could slide inside if need be, too. That is helpful for a Browns team that has holes all over their offensive line.
In the second round of this draft simulator, the Browns went after Elijah Sarratt. The receiver from Indiana is one of the top prospects at his position in this draft class, which is stacked with pass catchers. However, this move makes all the more sense because it would keep Mendoza and Sarratt on the same team. Having his favorite collegiate pass catchers on his NFL team would certainly make the transition to pro life easier for Mendoza.
The Browns finally go defense in round three. Despite being a bad team overall, and one that traded away some defensive talent, Cleveland actually has one of the best defenses in the league. They even rank first in pass defense. This is largely because Garrett is one of the best players in the NFL and well on his way to breaking the single-season sack record. There are other weapons on the defense, though, and Denzel Ward leads a solid secondary.
Ward formerly formed one-third of an elite trio that also included Martin Emerson and Greg Newsome. Emerson may never look the same after suffering an achilles tear, though, and Newsome was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. A.J. Harris would help reinforce the cornerback unit in Cleveland to round out what would be an incredible draft class for the Browns.
