Coming out of the NFL Draft, every team can find a reason to feel good about the upcoming season. Almost all of the picks look great on paper, and any other changes that were made during the offseason have yet to disappoint.
Based on those factors, the Cleveland Browns and their fans can feel like one of the most optimistic teams in the entire league. With another heralded rookie class coming out of the 2026 NFL Draft, a new head coach in Todd Monken, and a completely rebuilt offensive line, the Browns look to be headed in the right direction.
Then there is the matter of quarterback, where those who believe in Shedeur Sanders see much better days ahead in his second season. All he has to do is beat out Deshaun Watson for the starting job this preseason.
Analyst Emory Hunt is predicting a big season incoming for the Browns, based on “the positive energy” of this offseason.
“I am of the mindset that Shedeur’s going to win out this battle. He’s going to start, and what we saw last year wasn’t an aberration; it was a sign of things to come. He was 3-4 as a starter last year. He should’ve been 5-2. Now, you add all of that talent that they got in free agency and in the draft with a guy that has confidence and feeding off this positive energy, the Browns could win 10 games. All is well in Cleveland,” Hunt said.
.@FBallGameplan says the Browns can win 10 games this season with Shedeur Sanders as QB1. 👀
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) April 30, 2026
If Cleveland does improve at quarterback, Hunt’s projection would not seem as outrageous as it currently does, coming off eight wins combined the past two seasons. Yes, after Sanders took over for an injured Dillon Gabriel, the Browns did win three of his seven starts and lost two other games by a field goal or less.
However, based on QBR, the rookie had one of the worst performances by a quarterback in recent NFL history. Overall, in his eight appearances, the fifth-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft completed just 56.6 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also took 23 sacks.
The Browns, against all odds, may actually be better off with Watson at quarterback, at least this season. The veteran, who last played in October 2024, has reportedly been very impressive in offseason workouts and could already be in the lead in the open competition Monken vowed to hold this preseason.
With so many newcomers on offense, including veterans Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson, and Elgton Jenkins, and rookies Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston, whoever the quarterback is will have a more talented supporting cast than in years past, which should lead to much better results.
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