The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation has become a major storyline just one week into the 2026 season, and now CBS Sports is already looking ahead to how the front office might address the position in next year’s draft. Josh Edwards released his latest 2027 mock draft using current Super Bowl odds to determine draft order, and Cleveland’s projected path stood out among the more interesting scenarios in the entire first round. Rather than simply picking early and taking the best quarterback on the board, this projection has general manager Andrew Berry working the phones.
Edwards explained the thinking behind Cleveland trading back and still walking away with a quarterback it likes.
“If the Browns miss out on top quarterback options and do not see a big talent difference between the next few quarterbacks, then it would not be uncharacteristic of general manager Andrew Berry to explore a trade back. Cleveland has done a good job drafting over the last few years, but have lacked a level of competence at quarterback. Drake Lindsey operates like a professional in the pocket,” Edwards wrote.
The mock draft has Cleveland originally sitting at the No. 4 overall pick before trading down to No. 11 in a swap with Washington, netting extra draft capital in the process while still landing Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey. That kind of move fits the pattern Edwards describes for Berry, who has built a reputation for adding picks rather than standing pat when the value presents itself, especially at a position where Cleveland has struggled to find stability for years.
Lindsey’s profile backs up the praise in Edwards’ write-up. Through his first two games in 2026, he has completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 543 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception.
Dot by Drake Lindsey pic.twitter.com/cWSrOqBk4H
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 12, 2026
None of this reflects any actual decision by the organization, but it does capture just how unsettled the quarterback conversation in Cleveland has become before the calendar has even reached October.
Trading down from four to 11 while still landing a quarterback Edwards believes fits Cleveland’s timeline would represent the value-based approach Berry has favored throughout his tenure. Whether that scenario has any bearing on how the real 2027 draft unfolds remains to be seen, but it adds one more data point to a quarterback situation that Browns fans will be tracking closely in the months ahead.
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