The Cleveland Browns are in a great position ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft right now. They have two first-round selections, one of which is almost guaranteed to be in the top three.
That being said, that doesn’t mean that they will have to use both of those selections. They’re more than just one quarterback away from being a contender, and the talent drop-off after Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore is quite steep.
That’s why Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes the team could trade down to get an additional first-round selection in 2027.
“I do think if the Browns have the No. 2 or No. 3 pick and don’t take a quarterback, it would probably behoove them to trade down and pick up an extra first rounder for 2027. In that scenario, they’d still get a good player with their initial first round pick, and also have the second first-rounder, which is currently No. 27 because the Jaguars (11-4) have won six straight. Then, they’d be poised to draft a quarterback in the 2027 class if they needed to, but Sanders might be off to the races by then,” Cabot wrote.
Truth be told, that might be the wisest approach for this team. If Shedeur Sanders turns out to be the answer, they can use that additional first-round pick in 2027 to either trade for a star or keep improving their team with young talent. If not, they will have twice as many chances to get their franchise quarterback.
This quarterback class is far from impressive, especially after the first two prospects are off the board. The 2027 class, on the other hand, should be much deeper.
The Browns already did that this year by trading down from No. 2 to No. 5, and it proved to be the right decision.
Now, they could prioritize revamping their banged-up offensive line and add some much-needed talent at wide receiver, and they should be in a prime position to do so.
NEXT: Browns Could Pursue Two Intriguing QB Options In 2026
