Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns were going to have a difficult time fixing their quarterback situation in the 2026 NFL Draft once they lost out on the No. 1 overall selection.
The situation did not improve on Wednesday when Oregon quarterback Dante Moore made the smart decision to return to college for another year. Combining the fact that Moore needs more seasoning after only starting 20 games in college with the prospect of going to the New York Jets, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, made it a no-brainer for Moore.
Cleveland has two selections in the first round, No.6 and No. 24 overall, and Moore’s decision to stay at Oregon thinned out what was already a light quarterback class after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is essentially a lock to go to the Las Vegas Raiders with the draft’s first pick.
So where does that leave the Browns in their never-ending search for a quarterback? Well, the options are not very … promising.
Once Fernando Mendoza comes off the board, the drop to the next tier of quarterbacks is a bit steep.
Alabama’s Ty Simpson is probably the next-best option, but like Moore should have stayed in school after only starting for one season with the Crimson Tide. Simpson looked good in the opening months of last season, but he faded down the stretch as the lack of a running game finally caught up with Alabama. While it was not all his fault, Simpson didn’t exactly leave a positive impression heading into evaluation season.
Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss is an exciting prospect, but he may be shorter than his listed height of 6-foot-1 – a definite red flag for Cleveland fans and media. And he is actively fighting the NCAA to stay in school for another year, which may speak to his readiness for the NFL.
Miami’s Carson Beck doesn’t have to answer any questions about his experience as next week’s championship game will be his 55th career start across six seasons, but he still feels like a player that you can’t trust in a big spot.
After that, it is the annual list of developmental quarterbacks, including Penn State’s Drew Allar, Oklahoma’s John Mateer (unless he stays in college), LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik.
General manager Andrew Berry promised a “heavy investment” in the offense this year, but none of those guys feel like they would qualify under that category.
Either way, Berry and the front office will do the standard accounting necessary for the Browns to have money to spend in free agency.
The problem? There is no one available who will be worth investing much into, either in free agency or a trade.
A lot can change in the coming months, but as of now, the “top quarterbacks” who could be available in...
