Insider Names 5 College QBs Browns Should Have Interest In

Even though the Cleveland Browns are 5-3 and have significantly overachieved this season in the eyes of most fans, the quarterback position remains a big question mark for the future. Deshaun Watson has had a solid rebound campaign and is playing the best football he has ever played since joining the Browns, and while second-year QB Shedeur Sanders has his believers as well, the most likely outcome is that the Browns will bring in a first-round rookie in 2027 since they have two first-round picks.

Watson has been good enough that some are even wondering if he’ll get a contract extension this offseason. Sanders will also likely be making his first start of the year in place of Watson on Sunday since he is in concussion protocol, so he also has a chance to change some people’s minds and convince the decision makers that their young franchise QB is already in uniform.

While there is a lot to look forward to in the short-term, it never hurts to do a little scouting for the future as well. ESPN’s Tony Grossi recently shared the top five QBs he likes for the Browns in next year’s draft with a huge weekend of college football coming up, and there weren’t any surprises. He has his eyes on Darian Mensah, Drew Mestemaker, C.J. Carr, LaNorris Sellers, and Arch Manning.

HUGE weekend of college football coming up 👀👀👀👀

Here’s @TonyGrossi’s current top 5 of college QBs for the Browns in the 2027 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/yYm0NBcYce

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 5, 2026

This QB class was heralded as an all-timer prior to this season, mainly due to the possible inclusion of Arch Manning. After a few months of college ball, all of a sudden this class has major question marks and the Browns’ two first-round picks aren’t looking to be the slam dunks we thought they were.

Cleveland’s decision is going to be a tough one because there might not be a sure thing at QB in this class. Manning’s stock has plummeted, and he is no longer the likely first overall pick. He could now be the third or fourth QB off the board and may even return to Texas for another year.

Sellers has put himself back on the map with some stellar performances over the past few weeks and Mensah has his Miami Hurricanes at No. 1 in the country, though they have red flags of their own as well. Mestemaker is the one who has seen his stock rise the most and could be the first overall pick after displaying some jaw-dropping tools at Oklahoma State this year.

There is still a lot of time between now and Draft Day, so a lot will change, but Cleveland’s decision isn’t going to be as easy as many had hoped. There will be quarterbacks available, but if they want the slam dunk prospect, they’ll either have to trade up or potentially wait until 2028.