Quarterback Shedeur Sanders suddenly looks less like a stopgap and more like a quarterback the Browns can actually build around, and ESPN’s latest 2026 mock draft leans right into that idea.
Instead of forcing another reset under center, the projection keeps Cleveland tied to its rookie passer and hands him a true WR1 in Ohio State star Carnell Tate.
The Buckeyes wideout is framed as a vertical, sure-handed route technician who averaged 17.5 yards per catch and reportedly logged zero drops on 58 targets, exactly the kind of clean, explosive profile an offense needs when no current Browns receiver has even topped 40 catches or 500 yards this season.
Behind that optimism, though, is a gut punch in the middle of the line. Center Ethan Pocic tore his Achilles against the Titans and is out for the year, stripping Sanders of the steady veteran who has handled protections and kept the pocket relatively clean since 2021. Asked about losing his anchor up front, Sanders’ first instinct was both emotional and revealing.
And Zac Jackson relayed on X a quote that Shedeur Sanders said about Ethan Pocic’s season-ending injury: ‘‘I hope he’s here next year. I really do. I’ve gotta make sure I’m around next year too.’”
That’s a rookie talking like a leader who expects to be part of the solution, not a placeholder. It also hints at how much trust existed between quarterback and center in an offense that’s still trying to find itself at 3-10.
Pocic’s absence is massive on its own. Kevin Stefanski confirmed the torn Achilles, noting the injury came in the fourth quarter when Pocic felt a pop in his left calf.
The veteran had allowed just 14 pressures and two sacks on 481 pass-block snaps this season, and he’s now headed to free agency after a three-year, $18 million deal. Sixth-rounder Luke Wylper is expected to take over the starting job down the stretch.
So while the mock-draft talk teases a future where Sanders gets a blue-chip receiver, his “hope” for Pocic to be back, and for himself to be the one throwing that ball, shows where his mind is right now: keeping this core together long enough to see what they can actually become.
