The Cleveland Browns have been stuck in a quarterback conversation since the preseason, a cycle that continued even after moving on from Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. With rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders on the roster, the team is still searching for a definitive answer.
Now, a new 2026 NFL mock draft suggests that the quarterback carousel in Cleveland might be far from over, potentially adding another young signal-caller to the mix and raising more questions than answers about the team’s future.
The Browns Keep Swinging on Quarterback
In his latest three-round 2026 NFL mock draft, PFSN’s Jacob Infante has the Browns swinging on another quarterback. He projected the team to select Garrett Nussmeier, the son of New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, with the No. 38 overall pick in the second round.
“Garrett Nussmeier excels in all the fundamentals: he’s accurate, smart, and composed under pressure,” Infante wrote. “His pocket presence and decision-making stand out. His early-season inconsistency sees him fall down the board a bit, but when he’s on, he displays genuine NFL starting potential.”
So far in the 2025 season, the LSU Tigers quarterback has completed 176 of 267 passes, a 65.9% completion rate, for 1,806 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Throughout his career with the Tigers, Nussmeier has accounted for 57 total touchdowns, with 52 coming through the air and five on the ground.
Under pressure, Nussmeier has completed 26 of 55 passes for 353 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions on 25.4% of his dropbacks. Despite his efforts, it has been a difficult season for LSU, which fell to 5-3 after a loss to the Texas A&M Aggies on Oct. 25, leading to the firing of head coach Brian Kelly.
Adding Nussmeier would further complicate a young and unproven quarterback room in Cleveland. The move would mean the Browns have a second-round pick in Nussmeier, a third-round pick in Gabriel, and a fifth-round pick in Sanders, all competing for the top spot. This situation would signal that the front office is prepared to move on from at least one, if not both, of the quarterbacks they drafted in 2025.
Gabriel has struggled in four starts this season, posting a 1-3 record while completing 59.9% of his passes for 702 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. His performance earned him the second-lowest PFSN QB Impact grade at 52.3. Meanwhile, Sanders has not yet appeared in a regular-season game and has been dealing with a back injury. Given the team’s current trajectory, it would not be surprising to see Sanders get some playing time before the season ends.
However, banking on a second-round quarterback to solve the franchise’s problems is a risky proposition. History shows that the success rate for quarterbacks taken in that round is mixed at best.
Here are the quarterbacks selected in the second round since 2012:
Looking at that list, some players certainly work out. Jalen Hurts, for example, has won a Super Bowl. For the most part, though, the ceiling often appears to be a serviceable starter like Derek Carr, who keeps a team in the purgatory of an 8-9 or 9-8 record. If the Browns decide that neither Gabriel nor Sanders is the long-term solution, they should aim higher for a true franchise-changer in the 2026 or 2027 draft.