New Mock Draft Has The Cleveland Browns Getting Offensive

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 1, 2026, 8:47 AM

new mock draft has the cleveland browns getting offensive

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. The Cleveland Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 13 to 6 on Sunday, and though the win technically “hurt” their 2026 NFL Draft stock, they could use it as a positive... Andrew Berry and Co. could choose to trade down and add more top-100 selections in April now that they’re out of Fernando Mendoza/Dante Moore range. In this mock draft, the Browns find it more beneficial to trade down and add another first-round selection for 2026.

When in doubt, trade out. Cleveland trades picks No.6 & No.70 to Dallas for picks No.14 & No.21 because the Cowboys were desperate to trade up and select Ohio State star LB/DE Arvell Reese. The Browns end up with an excellent portfolio of selections after this move. Cleveland finally finds their future left tackle with their first selection of the 2026 NFL Draft in Lomu. He has great size and length at 6’6”, 305 lbs., and is surprisingly advanced from a technical standpoint despite being so young. 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. For many fans, the writing is already on the wall for their teams’ seasons, and it’s time to look to the future. That means getting an early look at the 2026 NFL Draft class, and PFF is here to help.

Each week, we'll mock draft for two new teams, and the 2-8 Cleveland Browns are next on the clock. The first overall pick is still very much in play for Cleveland, but for this exercise we’ll slot them at No. 4. This is not meant to be a predictive exercise — we aren’t close to knowing the actual draft order — but rather an introduction to expected team needs and potential targets. Think of it this way: this is the one series you can afford to wait on for your team, because the longer it takes for them to appear, the better they are performing on... While offensive tackle and quarterback are options for Cleveland’s first pick, Tyson stands out as the superior prospect on the board at this stage.

Injuries have sidelined him for the past month, but he was one of the most dynamic weapons in the country over the first eight weeks of the college season, hauling in 57 catches with... Currently ranked 28th on the PFF Big Board, Proctor is an obvious fit for a struggling Browns offensive line. Across 400 pass-blocking snaps this season, he has allowed just one sack and 16 total pressures, and he pairs that with an impressive 85.4 blocking grade on zone runs. The Las Vegas Raiders finally catch a break. While the Browns were complicating things for the Steelers in their quest to wrap up the AFC North in Week 17 -- and, in the process, realistically falling out of range for the top... That result puts Las Vegas in pole position to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

There will be debate about whether Mendoza is worth the top pick (he is) or whether other quarterbacks could challenge him for QB1 (they can in theory, but Mendoza is the surest thing as... Either way, a year after passing on Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart at No. 6 in favor of running back Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders have no choice but to draft a quarterback this spring. After that, it's worth watching how the rest of the class shakes out. A long list of quarterbacks has already opted to return to school in 2026 -- either staying put or entering the transfer portal -- which could push QB-needy teams like the Jets, Cardinals, Browns,... In this mock, there are no trades, but three quarterbacks come off the board in the top five, leaving the Browns -- who own two first-round picks in 2026 -- on the outside looking...

Instead, Cleveland addresses wide receiver and offensive line, signaling a commitment to the two rookie quarterbacks it drafted last spring, at least for now. It also means the Cardinals, picking fifth, land Simpson as QB3 in the class -- the third time since 2018 that Arizona has used a high first-round pick on a franchise quarterback. By the time we've reached Week 17 and Christmas Day in the NFL season, there are just as many teams eyeing the 2026 NFL Draft and free agency as there are thinking about the... And heck, even some playoff teams, if they're realistic with themselves, would have eyes for the NFL Draft as the Super Bowl just simply isn't in the cards. But as the New York Giants currently sit with the No. 1 overall pick, there's already some draft drama as a bevy of teams could trade up to draft a quarterback.

The New York Jets and Cleveland Browns are the obvious options, as they would look to jump ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders. But what about sleeper teams like the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams? They might have even more incentive to trade up for their choice of Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore Jr. One of them does in our latest NFL Mock Draft with a full first-round projection for 2026. It's become undeniable that the Tua Tagovailoa era is over in Miami. But with it looking like Mike McDaniel could be the one who sticks around, the Dolphins need surety at quarterback and Quinn Ewers hasn't shown those signs yet.

It's time to make an aggressive trade, and Fernando Mendoza would be perfect in this offense. His decisiveness, plus arm and mobility would reinvigorate the Miami attack and, though it'll cost likely multiple first-rounders, it'd be worth it to reset this franchise's trajectory. The race for QB1 between Mendoza and Dante Moore has gotten closer throughout the year, but the Raiders should happily take whichever quarterback falls to them at No. 2. Vegas misplayed their timeline with the Geno Smith deal, but getting out of it and moving on to Moore makes perfect sense. He's got all the tools, but just might need a bit more experience and polish.

However, he would allow the Raiders, who are flush with cap space, to build around Moore and some other attractive pieces to make the elevation they'd hoped to this past season. There's a chance that the Browns make a draft move for a quarterback in 2026, but it's not a guarantee. They could also either stick with Shedeur Sanders or make a move for a veteran. That seems more likely right now, which brings wide receiver to the forefront given how lackluster that corps is right now. Jordyn Tyson remains my WR1 by a hair over Carnell Tate. The ASU product has the size and movement skills to be a No.

1 at the next level, and the Browns direly need that no matter who is under center. The Cleveland Browns need a complete offensive overhaul, and in a new 2026 NFL mock draft, they get the requisite pieces to do so. Outside of a duo of young running backs and a sturdy rookie tight end, there are not many solid pieces to build around offensively for the Browns. However, in this new mock draft done by Daft on Draft, Cleveland gets a new quarterback of the future and drafts a new wide receiver (who just so happens to be a Biletnikoff Award... In the newest episode of the Daft on Draft podcast, the hosts had the Browns selecting Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, comparing him to C.J. Stroud coming out of Ohio State in 2023.

Moore is coming off of a dominant 27-of-30 game for 306 yards against Minnesota. He is one of the more fundamentally advanced quarterbacks in college football, which makes his transition to the NFL an intriguing one. The Browns then doubled up on the offensive side of the ball with their first round pick acquired by the Jacksonville Jaguars, landing USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. A future first round pick, Lemon is having a torrid season for the Trojans and is coming off of yet another dominant performance where he racked up 153 yards against Iowa. He is now up to 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. Cleveland has a long way to go in rebuilding their offense, but this would certainly be a strong start.

You can find this full mock draft episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube (video below). The Cleveland Browns offense has been a disaster through the first four games of the season, and much of that has to do with the offensive line. Both of the Browns’ starting tackles, Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin, have missed most of the season. Willis has been the only one to see action. He only made it through half of the Week Three game against the New York Giants before getting injured again.

New Mock Draft Has The Cleveland Browns Getting Offensive

People Also Search

Coming Off A Tough 31-3 Loss To The Chicago Bears,

“The Browns Need To Elevate The Ecosystem Around Their Quarterback.

When In Doubt, Trade Out. Cleveland Trades Picks No.6 &

Last Week's Rivalry Week Was Everything It Was Billed To

The Team Cannot Generate Points, And They're Constantly Putting The