The Cleveland Browns have a well-documented logjam at the quarterback position, headlined by rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders and fellow 2025 draftee Dillon Gabriel. Recent reports have pointed to Kenny Pickett or Gabriel starting over Sanders and veteran Joe Flacco, with Pickett the heavy favorite to begin Week 1 under center for the Browns.
Despite the ongoing drama surrounding Cleveland’s QB1 conundrum, the Browns may not care who is running their offense for much longer.
In an early 2026 mock draft for ESPN, NFL draft analyst Matt Miller projected Cleveland to draft Clemson Tigers football star Cade Klubnik with the No. 1 pick next year. Miller compared the talented Klubnik to former Browns No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield, who has also drawn recent comparisons to Pickett.
Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns with just six interceptions last season, leading Clemson to the College Football Playoff before a hard-fought first-round loss to Texas. He also ran for seven scores on the ground during his junior year.
Klubnik tossed three touchdowns against the Longhorns in the playoffs, bowing out valiantly. He has shown clear signs of superstar potential, emerging as a strong candidate for next year’s top draft pick.
The Sporting News’s Mike Moraitis believes the Browns should go for Klubnik if they can, even if they might look ridiculous drafting another quarterback.
“Now, would the Browns look silly if they were to draft yet another quarterback? Absolutely, but that should not deter Cleveland at all,” Moraitis wrote. “Nobody is going to care about that years down the road if the Browns draft Klubnik and he turns out to be ‘the guy’ for the next decade-plus.”
Moraitis’ analysis is spot-on. If Klubnik looks like the type of quarterback who can change a franchise, the Browns shouldn’t think twice about moving on from Sanders or Gabriel as their signal-caller of the future.