Browns Overhaul Offense In Latest 2026 7 Round Mock Draft

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 11, 2025, 7:38 PM

browns overhaul offense in latest 2026 7 round mock draft

The Cleveland Browns have the fifth pick in the NFL draft heading into Championship Weekend. Last week's Rivalry Week was everything it was billed to be. It was an enjoyable hate weekend, which saw some minor shakeups in the playoff rankings. College Saturday was a good reminder that there's good football still being played in Ohio. The Browns' loss to the San Francisco 49ers was embarrassing. It sent the Browns back to the top of the draft order.

It also showed the areas the Browns need to improve if they want to compete against Super Bowl contenders.The Browns need an infusion of offensive talent. The team cannot generate points, and they're constantly putting the defense on its heels. The Browns will need to overhaul their entire offense this offseason. All while managing the Deshaun Watson playing and cap situations. If the Browns are serious about tanking, they should play Watson to end the season. He's been a horrible quarterback since he got here.

There's no way he has the running ability, his only strength in Cleveland, after tearing his Achilles twice in three months. The Browns need a cleanse at the quarterback position. The team needs to invest a draft pick in one of the quarterbacks in the upcoming class. In this 2026 seven-round mock draft, the Browns will be highlighting the best players playing this weekend. Fernando Mendoza entered the season relatively unheralded. The redshirt junior started his career at Cal.

He played most of his sophomore year and started every game of his junior season. Mendoza transferred to Indiana after watching Hoosiers' head coach Curt Cignettti turn them into playoff contenders. Mendoza turned down a lot of money from much bigger programs to take Indiana from playoff hopeful to National Championship contender. Mendoza has flourished under Cignetti's coaching. He's the favorite to win the Heisman. The 2025 NFL season is just over halfway completed, and it is already draft season for most Cleveland Browns fans.

It has been another disappointing season for Cleveland, leading to many questions about the future of the franchise. Is head coach Kevin Stefanski on the hot seat, or is his job secure for 2026? Who will be starting at quarterback to open next season? Will general manager Andrew Berry be the one selecting players in the 2026 NFL Draft? There are a ton of questions to be answered for the Browns this offseason. But the biggest question for fans will be: what are they going to do with this offense?

Switching play-callers and quarterbacks mid-season has harbored minimal improvement to this point. Rebuilding and revamping the offense must be a focus for whoever his heading the front office and coaching staff. That is a focus for Cleveland early in this 2026 NFL mock draft. Shedeur Sanders may or may not have a real chance to prove himself as the future starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. But as a fifth-round pick, even if he plays fairly well to finish the season, it may not prevent the Browns from prioritizing finding their franchise signal caller atop the 2026 NFL Draft. If the Browns are selecting third overall, there is a very good chance they take a stab at a new quarterback.

With the season that Fernando Mendoza is putting together for the Indiana Hoosiers, he certainly could be the first one off the board in April. The Browns are a team still trying to build an offensive identity, as this defense is led by future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett. Going into the 2026 NFL Draft, they have plenty of areas to look to fix on the offensive side of the ball, and the biggest question is whether this team keeps the coaching staff... Note: Teams inevitably trade draft picks during the draft; I will not be. I’m standing pat and selecting based on how the roster will look today, so no free agency either. If we look at Spotrac’s data on what this roster will look like in the offseason, you’ll see a team without a lot of money to spend (currently at least).

On top of that, they have a Deshaun Watson-sized boulder holding them hostage for another season, but that’s coming to an end soon. 7 of their 44 players under contract in 2026 have void years, though, so things will look drastically different come next season for this Cleveland Browns team. <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40708 size-full lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLE-2026.png?resize=1127%2C710&ssl=1" alt="" width="1127" height="710" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLE-2026.png?w=1127&ssl=1 1127w, https://i0.wp.com/www.draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLE-2026.png?resize=300%2C189&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLE-2026.png?resize=1024%2C645&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLE-2026.png?resize=768%2C484&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLE-2026.png?resize=960%2C605&ssl=1 960w, https://i0.wp.com/www.draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLE-2026.png?resize=635%2C400&ssl=1 635w, https://i0.wp.com/www.draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CLE-2026.png?resize=585%2C369&ssl=1 585w" sizes="(max-width: 1127px) 100vw, 1127px" /> When I started this mock, two of the top 4 teams took a quarterback. So in theory, it was down to Moore and LaNorris Sellers. Unsure if Sellers comes out or not, and it comes down to I go with traits here, because if Sellers doesn’t declare, the next best QB is Garrett Nussmeier.

By StickToTheModel Draft Team | Published: December 08, 2025 | Updated: December 22, 2025 | 7 min read Cleveland Browns enter the 2026 NFL Draft with 10 selections and critical needs at Wide Receiver, Quarterback, Offensive Tackle. This mock has them addressing their biggest weaknesses while maintaining draft value. Cleveland addresses their most glaring need by landing Jordyn Tyson, the consensus WR1 in this draft class who wins through technique and nuance rather than raw athleticism. Despite an injury history that's shown up in each of the last three seasons, Tyson's 67% contested catch rate and ability to dominate from any alignment make him worth the medical risk. The Browns are betting his Keenan Allen-like skill set translates immediately.

Tyson's advanced route-running—refined under the tutelage of Hines Ward—and exceptional body control give Cleveland a true alpha receiver who can operate as the primary target in any passing attack. His versatility to thrive from slot or boundary and his dangerous YAC ability make him an ideal fit for a team seeking offensive identity. The injury concerns are real, but when healthy, he led all Power Four receivers in yards over the final eight weeks of 2024. If Jordyn Tyson was off the board, Cleveland Browns could target similar Wide Receivers in the top 10 range. The current 2026 NFL draft order has the Cleveland Browns out of position for the top two quarterbacks of this draft cycle. The Browns could use the extra pick they have from the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up a few spots, but that would assume A) they wouldn’t be outbid by a team like the New...

Instead, for the first time in a while, our latest Cleveland NFL mock draft does not include a top quarterback. Last week, it was Dante Moore. The week before, it was Fernando Mendoza. With this Browns mock draft, you can assume whichever realistic quarterback you would prefer (Shedeur Sanders, Malik Willis, Geno Smith, Joe Flacco, etc). This week, we used Pro Football Network’s Mock Draft Simulator to assist in building Cleveland’s roster, mostly on offense: The best tackle prospect in this year’s draft helps solidify the line in front of any quarterback

A 6’2”, 230-pound receiver who is fast with long arms and willing to be physical checks all the boxes needed to upgrade the passing game Wanna Get Waaay Ahead of Your League Mates? Trading future rookie picks feels like a roll of the dice. Will next year be a strong skill position class? Will certain be positions be stronger or weaker? Analysts will spout off about the strengths and weaknesses of a class, but putting it in context of other positions helps predict draft capital.

Plus many of those analysts haven't even watched these players. Next year will mark the 23rd NFL Draft I have scouted and covered. I've been producing seven-round mock drafts and rankings since 2004. Latest 2026 NFL mock draft from ESPN has the Cleveland Browns adding a QB and left tackle by trading up for Dante Moore The Cleveland Browns clearly need a quarterback, but assuming the team will find one in the 2026 NFL draft depends on so many different variables, including which ones declare for this year’s selection process. Quarterback is not the be-all end-all of a successful NFL team, but a vital one for sure.

The Browns probably should have prioritized other positions in the 2025 NFL draft after passing early in the process. Cleveland is currently slotted with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft order, as well as the 20th pick being sent over from the Jacksonville Jaguars. NFL mock drafts will continue to focus on three positions for the Browns: Quarterback, offensive tackle, and wide receiver. In ESPN’s latest 2026 NFL mock draft, Matt Miller has Cleveland flipping positions with the New York Giants (giving up two 3rd roudn picks) to get that prized quarterback: The Browns’ many attempts to find a franchise quarterback have failed, so it’s back to the drawing board. Moore started five games at UCLA in 2023 before transferring to Oregon and sitting behind Dillon Gabriel -- whom he’d actually be replacing here -- in 2024.

Moore has played with poise and touch this season, completing 72.8% of his passes for 2,190 yards and 21 touchdowns to five interceptions while showing great arm talent. Coming off a tough 31-3 loss to the Chicago Bears, Browns fans may not have a lot to be happy about this season. One thing to look forward to is the stupendous rookie class that was brought in this year. Another optimistic opportunity that Browns fans look forward to every year is next year's draft, of course. Currently, Cleveland holds the fourth overall pick and the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 draft. Daniel Flick, a writer for Sports Illustrated's NFL Draft coverage, recently released his fourth edition of mock drafts, and he has the Browns switching it up a bit.

Flick has the Browns staying put at fourth and selecting: “The Browns need to elevate the ecosystem around their quarterback. Adding Mauigoa, a strong, mauling right tackle who may kick inside to guard at the next level, is a good place to start,” Flick wrote.

Browns Overhaul Offense In Latest 2026 7 Round Mock Draft

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