The Cleveland Browns have been searching for a legitimate long-term starting quarterback for many years. However, they have yet to be able to find that player.
Baker Mayfield seemed likely to be the guy when they drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the Browns moved on from him after just four years and have had to watch him become a franchise quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Cleveland has four quarterbacks on the roster with two of them being rookies.
Both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel were drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. Gabriel was selected in the third round, while Sanders was a fifth-round pick.
Read more: Browns’ Shedeur Sanders Gets Major Cut Warning Ahead of Training Camp
There is hope that one of those two young signal callers will become the guy. Despite those hopes, a new prediction for the Browns would see the team move on from both Sanders and Gabriel following their rookie years.
Pro Football Network’s Jacob Infante has released a new projection for the 2026 NFL Draft. He has Cleveland ending up with the No. 1 overall pick and using that selection to bring in Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik.
“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,” Infante wrote. “If Cleveland finishes with the league’s worst record, they’d be smart to take a swing at a true franchise QB.”
Klubnik took the college football world by storm last season. He finally lived up to the elite potential that made him a five-star quarterback prospect when he committed to Clemson.
He completed 63.4 percent of his pass attempts for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, and just six interceptions, while also running for 463 yards and seven touchdowns.
Read more: Browns’ Shedeur Sanders Receives Strong Future Prediction Amid Uncertainty
There is no question that Klubnik has the talent to be a high-level NFL quarterback. That being said, Sanders has elite quarterback potential as well. Gabriel is a hard worker who could improve dramatically in the coming years.
Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski will look to see what the two young quarterbacks have throughout the 2025 season. Perhaps one of them could prove that they can be a long-term starting option. If that happens, the Browns could focus on adding talent elsewhere in the 2026 draft.
Should neither rookie be able to show franchise quarterback potential, making a move for a player like Klubnik could be a very legitimate option.
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