The Cleveland Browns took two cracks at finding their quarterback of the future in the 2025 NFL draft after selecting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
And, you can add in a third crack if you want to include 27-year-old Kenny Pickett, who is one of the favorites to land Cleveland's starting job, along with Joe Flacco.
However, Jacob Infante of Pro Football & Sports Network doesn't see any of those signal-callers panning out. Instead, he predicts the Browns will draft Texas quarterback Arch Manning at No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL draft.
"Although the Cleveland Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in 2025, neither came with the kind of draft capital that typically signals a long-term commitment," Infate wrote. "If Cleveland finishes with the league’s worst record, they’d be smart to take a swing at a true franchise QB."
Infante notes that Manning isn't even guaranteed to come out in 2026. After all, he will have just one year as a starter under his belt at that point after sitting behind Quinn Ewers for two years.
ESPN Cleveland's Tony Rizzo has previously stated Browns owner Jimmy Haslam loves Manning, and Colin Cowherd has noted the connections Haslam has to the Manning family.
However, like the rest of us, Haslam believes Manning won't be coming out of college in 2026.
"I think if you know the Manning family, I would bet that -- and I don't know Arch at all -- I would bet he stays in college two years," Haslam said. "So, I don't even really think that's worth discussing."
If Manning does indeed declare, the Browns could very well be in position to draft him with the No. 1 overall pick. Cleveland is in a transition year in 2025 and it's conceivable they could be the worst team in the NFL.
Manning in Cleveland, which is historically a terrible place for quarterbacks, would be pure cinema. Unfortunately, we wouldn't bet on it happening.