The Cleveland Browns feel like they’ve hit rock bottom during their season.

The Browns are 1-5, but they have plenty of losses ahead of them. Especially if the Browns want to land their franchise quarterback of the future. The 2026 quarterback class is evaporating as the college football season progresses. Many of the younger quarterbacks have hit a wall in their development as conference play began.

Star underclassmen LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina, Dante Moore of Oregon, and Ty Simpson of Alabama have two months left to decide if they want to enter the NFL draft or return to college. If they’re wise, they’ll stay in college. I believe the aptly named “Not For Long” league is no place for quarterbacks to develop. No one has the patience. I believe that younger quarterbacks should return to college until they are fully ready to enter the NFL. Staying in college for longer won’t automatically turn a quarterback into a future star. But it does give quarterbacks long enough runways to avoid the imminent destruction in the NFL. 

The Cleveland Browns have a tight battle for the next star quarterback prospect. The team will play multiple teams currently scheduled to have a top-ten pick, including this week against the Miami Dolphins. It’ll be an interesting game that could define the Browns’ season. If the team loses, it could result in a regime change in Berea. If the team wins, nothing will change besides their access to a top pick. The Browns are between a rock and a hard place. Fortunately, we can escape with the latest three rounds of the 2026 NFL mock draft. 

1.02 LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina

LaNorris Sellers is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks fans have seen in a decade. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound redshirt sophomore is the size of a linebacker. Sellers is super strong with the ability to break free from sacks. He’s a fantastic athlete in the open space. He’s quick, fast, and determined. He can run away from defenders with ease. Sellers can be a real magician once they break the pocket. He can bide time behind the line of scrimmage, hunting for the big play, or he can take off to the open grass. Sellers is a dangerous playmaker outside the pocket. He’s currently learning to play inside the pocket. 

While the league has indeed emphasized in-structure playmaking with the resurgence of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Daniel Jones, the top quarterbacks in the NFL are breaking from this tier with their creative playmaking. Sellers plays like a superstar, trying to learn the fundamentals. Sellers is doing everything right currently. He’s reading his keys, progressing through his receiving targets. Sellers is improving as a pocket-passer as he learns to play in rhythm. Sellers must improve his tempo in the passing game. He’s finding the correct answer in the passing game, but he must be quicker to survive the NFL. Sellers is a dangerous talent with the arm to escape most situations. He has a big, strong arm that can punish defenses. He has the arm strength to prop open throwing windows in the NFL. Sellers can generate some nasty velocity and spin when throwing the ball. He’s not an incredibly accurate quarterback. Sometimes he can let throws get away from him. Sellers has all the physical tools to succeed in the NFL. However, none of his physical gifts can help Sellers if he doesn’t improve his play speed. 

Sellers has his biggest test of the season against a stalwart Oklahoma Sooners defense. Oklahoma has the best defense in college football as they play a physical, but cerebral style of defense. Sellers will need to be on their best behavior to win in Oklahoma. The Cleveland Browns are desperate for a talent like Sellers. They need a dangerous quarterback with the talent to compete among the best in the NFL. Sellers is that player, but he’s an inexperienced playmaker trying to patch together a complete game. It might take Sellers a few years to become as talented inside the pocket as outside. However, I believe the young quarterback can do so. 

1.22 Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

Caleb Lomu is one of the most unheralded offensive linemen in the NFL. The redshirt sophomore right tackle for the Utah Utes has had a rough start to the college football season. Lomu, a vicious bowling ball with knives attached to his limbs, has been rather pedestrian against Utah’s opponents. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive tackle isn’t playing with the same tenacity that put him on the radar of scouts. Lomu’s been effective, but he’s not mauling people in the run game, nor is he finishing blocks with violent pancakes. Lomu has been solid, but uninspiring. Demeanor among offensive linemen is essential. They have a challenging job, perhaps the most difficult in football, all while receiving the brunt of the criticism. It’s a rather cruel position, so it’s great to witness players dish more than they take. It’s a sign they can survive the throes of the league. 

Lomu is a promising talent with great athleticism. He’s stocky, but his feet are quick, and he does a great job of staying square through blocks. Lomu wins with agility, but he’s not a passive player. Lomu throws quick jabs to keep defenders off-balance. He uses the impressive strike speed to reattach his hands to a defender if they get knocked away. Lomu has a good opportunity to impress scouts when the Utes face off against in-state rival Brigham Young University. Lomu will look to punish the Cougars on Saturday. Football is a violent sport, built through the trenches. The Browns need another prizefighter on the line. Lomu would be an excellent fit for the Browns.

2.33 Chris Bell, WR, Louisville

Chris Bell is an athletic marvel. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior receiver looks like he was built in a lab. Bell’s muscles aren’t just for show. He might be the best athlete on any field he walks on. Bell is a physical player who can run over defenders or run by them. He is a burner; he doesn’t glide with his long legs, he kicks them into overdrive as he moves upfield. Bell can score from anywhere on the field with his game-breaking speed. 

Bell is a physical outlier, but he’s a raw wide receiver. Bell’s route tree is minimal. He’s used on go, drag, and stop routes, where he can use his speed to create separation. Bell’s not afraid to go over the middle and make tough catches, but he’s not a technician. Bell likes to use his massive frame to trap footballs to him instead of using his hands and attacking the ball. He’s a rudimentary route runner. Bell does have a savvy feel for zone coverages, and he can tempo his routes well. He has a lot of room to grow, but he has shown that he’s a sharp football player. 

Bell got an early start to the weekend as the star wide receiver destroyed the number two-ranked Miami Hurricanes on Friday night. Bell catapulted the Cardinals to an upset win. He had nine receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns. The Cleveland Browns need a dominant receiver to revitalize their passing attack. Bell could be the perfect option for the Browns if he falls to the second round. Bell has the speed the Browns are desperate for. He has the prototypical size to line up at X or in the slot. I think Bell’s athleticism, intelligence, and determination when blocking could make him one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL after a few seasons. Bell should be an obvious pick for the Browns come the draft.

3.66 Diego Pounds, OT, Ole Miss

Diego Pounds is a hyper athletic offensive tackle for Ole Miss. Pounds is 6-foot-6, 330 pounds. The senior left tackle is a raw offensive tackle who likes to punch defenders more than he likes to block them. Pounds is an incredible player, but he’s extremely raw. Pounds has near-zero refinement in his game. Ole Miss’s spread run-pass-option offense has become one of the deadliest offenses in the sport. However, it’s done very little for the development of the offensive line. RPOs ask offensive linemen to hit the clutch while holding the gas pedal down. It’s hard for linemen to focus on finishing blocks when getting downfield can result in a penalty. The Rebels rarely call traditional drop-back passes, and it’s hard for offensive linemen to get into the proper pass sets. The Rebels’ high-tempo offense adds more sloppiness and variance to the process. Overall, it’s a challenging system to develop linemen, but it’s a complex offense to stop. Pounds has played impressively under the system. He’s a frenzied player with great athleticism. It’s not unusual to see him climb to linebackers before the ball leaves the quarterback’s hand.

Pounds is a messy blocker. His hands and feet shoot all over the place. It’s erratic, but relentless. Pounds needs to rebuild his fundamentals in the NFL. He must become comfortable with the footwork of traditional pass sets. He’s a fast offensive tackle, but he can run past his landmarks trying to chase defenders. Pounds must also improve his strike ability. His punches are horribly inaccurate. Pounds uses a lot of two-handed underhanded punches to lock the defender into his body. Pounds must learn how to use his hands independently of each other. Pounds is an unpolished offensive tackle, but he has all the tools to become a great offensive tackle if he learns the position. 

Pounds has an excellent opportunity to prove he can play against some of the best competition in football. The Rebels take on the Georgia Bulldogs. The game will be a battle between two top-ten teams. Georgia has a dangerous defense. Pounds will have a tough matchup against Georgia’s roving defensive linemen. He could have a draft defining game. The Cleveland Browns are in desperate need of help in the offensive line. The Browns could replace a majority of the long-tenured unit as the players age into a new phase in their careers. The Browns must take a few big swings at the offensive line in the offseason. The Browns must establish the trenches as a unit strength again.