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Browns predicted to replace Shedeur Sanders in 2026 NFL Draft
The Cleveland Browns are predicted to use an early pick to find their franchise quarterback.
Cleveland is still searching for their franchise quarterback, and the Browns could look at the draft to find their next quarterback. Following Super Bowl LX, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner released his latest mock draft and had Cleveland taking LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier with the 39th overall pick.
“Context is required to evaluate Nussmeier’s up-and-down 2025 performance,” Baumgardner wrote. “For starters, LSU’s program was on the verge of collapse. His offensive line was a nightmare, and he played through a core injury. He was healthy at the Senior Bowl and looked more like the quarterback we expected to see this season. Stock firmly up here.”
The Browns’ drafting Nussmeier would be an intriguing move and it does seem a tad high to select him 39th. However, entering the college football season, Nussmeier was considered a Heisman frontrunner and a potential top-10 pick, but injuries derailed his season.
His best college season came in 2024 as he threw for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Nussmeier could very well sit for a year, which would allow the Browns to start Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders in 2026, before turning over to Nussmeier in 2027 and beyond.
NFL Scout Not Blown Away by Nussmeier
Nussmeier entered the 2025 college football season as one of the top quarterbacks, but he and LSU struggled.
However, Nussmeier showed flashes of being a star quarterback but NFL Draft scout Matt Miller wasn’t blown away by the LSU quarterback.
“The measurables on paper can look really different. Six-foot and 205 (pounds) can look really different body to body. People carry weight differently,” Miller said on See Ball, Get Ball podcast. “I’d been warned that, ‘When you see Nussmeier personally, he’s not very big.’ And he’s not. Coming back from injury, I thought this was his breakout week.
“I thought that we would get back to that first-round stock that we had heard about. I thought that arrow was pointing up for Nussmeier and I wasn’t blown away. I’ve talked to scouts who feel the opposite.”
Nussmeier is likely to be a Day 2 pick and would benefit from sitting for a year or two. But, he could very well be a franchise quarterback for the team.
Browns HC Won’t Commit to QB
Cleveland hired Todd Monken as their new head coach, and he will have to make some intriguing decisions with the offense.
The former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator could make some major changes at offense, and one of the biggest questions is whether he will make a change at quarterback. At his introductory press conference, Monken said he still has to talk that over.
“Well, I think like any position on the team, that’s still to be determined. Am I excited about Shedeur, am I excited about all the quarterbacks in the room, m I excited to coach this football team? Absolutely. I can’t wait for them to get back and for us to get started.”
The Browns will likely add a quarterback whether it comes through the draft, free agency or a trade.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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