It is never too early to start thinking about the next draft, especially for a team without a clear long-term answer at quarterback. Mock drafts at this point of the season are more about fits and possibilities than certainties. Still, they offer a glimpse at which prospects could be in play when April arrives. For the Browns, one early projection paired them with a quarterback who has been one of the most efficient passers in college football.
Rob Rang of FOX Sports released a 2027 mock draft with 6 quarterbacks going in the 1st round, and he sent Notre Dame’s CJ Carr to Cleveland with the 16th pick, which comes from the Los Angeles Rams.
“Browns general manager Andrew Berry has quite the conundrum. His team already has four quarterbacks on the roster, though current starter Deshaun Watson is 31 years old and a pending free agent. Can the Browns afford to spend yet another first-round pick on a signal-caller? With two first-round picks in a potentially rich QB class, can they afford not to? CJ Carr lacks elite traits, but he’s smart, tough and seemingly an ideal fit for head coach Todd Monken’s run-heavy attack,” Rang wrote.
Through 8 games this season, he has completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,849 yards, 18 touchdowns and just 1 interception. Over his 2 seasons as Notre Dame’s starter, he has thrown for 4,590 yards with 42 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.
He has been especially sharp lately. Carr threw 3 or more touchdowns in 3 of Notre Dame’s last 5 games, including 4 in a win at North Carolina. The one rough outing came in a loss at BYU, where he went 27 of 49 without a touchdown.
At 6 feet 3 and 210 pounds, Carr does not have the big arm or athleticism that usually pushes a quarterback into the top 10. Rang compared him to Kirk Cousins, which is an interesting twist given that some have suggested that the Browns trade for Cousins himself.
Football runs in his family too. Carr is the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr.
Watson is in the final year of his contract and currently in the concussion protocol. Shedeur Sanders could start Sunday in New Orleans, and Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green round out the room. None of them has locked down the future yet.
The Browns are also in a strong position to act. They hold 2 1st-round picks and 11 selections overall in 2027, giving Berry plenty of flexibility to move up if the right quarterback is there.
This quarterback class has not quite lived up to expectations this fall, and some prospects could return to school. At least 8 teams may need a starter, though, so the competition will be stiff.
How Sanders plays over the next few weeks could shape just how urgent that search becomes.
NEXT: Insider Names 5 College QBs Browns Should Have Interest In
