Browns Take Surprising QB With No. 1 Pick in ESPN’s Very Early 2026 Mock Draft

The Browns haven't even started their 2025 NFL season yet, and already they're mocked to take a quarterback with the projected No. 1 pick next April.

After a hectic offseason that saw Joe Flacco win the starting quarterback job over Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, the Browns still don't feel like a playoff contender and could be right back where they started next year. If Cleveland earns the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, ESPN's Field Yates has the team taking a surprising name to finally get their quarterback of the future: Arch Manning.

Yates writes:

Yes, Archie Manning recently stated that his grandson will stay at Texas for at least two seasons, a belief many in the scouting community share. But ultimately, Arch is eligible to declare in 2026, and if he performs up to his potential, he might just have to consider the NFL leap in this coming draft class. So I'm including him ... for now.

He is inexperienced and needs to add more weight to his 6-foot-4 frame, but it's easy to see his immense ceiling. I know the Browns just drafted two passers this year, but if they are picking first overall next year, then yes, they'll be taking a quarterback.

On the other hand, SI's Daniel Flick's 2026 mock draft didn't include Manning at all under the presumption that the young signal-caller wouldn't declare for next year's draft, as his grandfather Archie announced earlier this month. "Arch isn't going to do that. He'll be at Texas," Archie said, when asked about whether his grandson is planning to enter the 2026 draft.

However, the Longhorns star appeared to hedge his grandfather's comments this week when he admitted he didn't know how Archie came to that conclusion. Manning instead emphasized he was staying focused on the present, which means leading Texas' offense in his first year as starter in 2025.

Manning, 21, spent his first two years at Texas as Quinn Ewers's backup but now is ready to take the reins ahead of a highly anticipated campaign. He's expected to be an early first-round pick in the NFL in the coming years, though time will tell when he's actually ready to go pro.