The NFL is more pass-friendly now than it was 20 years ago, and teams across the league are placing an increased emphasis on the position.
Teams are more likely to reach in the earlier rounds of the draft to try and find their next starting QB, hoping to find someone who can lead the franchise for the foreseeable future.
The Cleveland Browns tried this approach with two quarterbacks in 2025, selecting Dillon Gabriel and later Shedeur Sanders, wanting one of them to work out.
Gabriel has been mostly underwhelming thus far, and the team hasn’t given Sanders a chance to show what he can do.
With that in mind, the Browns could be in the market for a quarterback in next year’s draft, which is what analyst Cooper Petagna noted in his recent mock draft on CBS.
Petagna believes the Browns are going to take a big swing with the No. 4 overall pick (the Browns’ draft position if the season ended today), and has them selecting Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
This throw will be shown on draft tapes in the spring. Ridiculous accuracy by Fernando Mendoza. #iufbpic.twitter.com/PbnXGaZZjX
— Zion Brown (@z10nbr0wn) October 18, 2025
2026 is slated to be a strong quarterback class, and Petagna believes this could be a great opportunity for the Browns to try again at the position, especially after seeing what they have in Gabriel thus far.
Teams used to give quarterbacks more time to grow and develop, wanting them to turn into something, but patience is running thin in today’s game.
If a player doesn’t work out within two years, they are commonly traded or cut, and teams look to move on as soon as possible.
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