University of Kwazulu-Natal

Shedeur Sanders Fernando Mendoza And The Browns Path To A Quarterback

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
shedeur sanders fernando mendoza and the browns path to a quarterback

Shedeur Sanders celebrates after a touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr. in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 31-29 loss to the Titans. Nick Cammett / Getty Images Nothing is ever clean and clear with Cleveland Browns football. There is always a complication to the composition. Within a span of about four days, our Dane Brugler predicted the Cleveland Browns to trade up to No.

1 and select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in his first mock draft. Hours later, Mendoza backed up the high praise with an excellent performance in the Hoosiers’ upset of Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Fans didn’t even have enough time to process Mendoza’s performance and whether a trade-up is worth it before Shedeur Sanders dazzled with 364 yards and four touchdowns (including one rushing) in the Browns’ loss... The Browns have been unsuccessfully chasing franchise quarterbacks for 25 years. It would be high comedy by this point if it weren’t so pitiful. Since the Browns have a pair of first-rounders in next year’s draft, they have the capital necessary to move up for Mendoza or another quarterback if they so choose.

The Cleveland Browns could be in a favorable spot late in the first round, especially if the board breaks the right way. Some think the Browns will take a quarterback to replace Shedeur Sanders, while others don’t expect that to be the case. Cleveland doesn’t need to force a pick at QB, but adding a long-term option might make sense if Kevin Stefanski doesn’t love Sanders. The Browns don’t have enough in place offensively to support a young quarterback, which doesn’t really help the situation. Fernando Mendoza is the top option in this upcoming draft, but some like Ty Simpson for the Browns, including Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut, who believes Cleveland will select Simpson at No. 27, its first-round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“It all works out for the Cleveland Browns in this NFL mock draft, with Ty Simpson falling right to them. He’s not the flashiest quarterback prospect by any means, but he’s incredibly advanced as a processor and decision-maker for someone with such limited starting experience. Plus, with the top-five pick used on Carnell Tate, Simpson would be stepping into an offense with two great playmakers in Tate and Harold Fannin Jr,” he wrote. A new round of draft speculation has placed the Cleveland Browns at the center of one of the boldest potential moves of the 2026 NFL Draft cycle. The franchise is being linked to a possible pursuit of the No. 1 overall pick, a scenario that would carry significant implications for its long-term quarterback plans.

In PFSN’s Ian Cummings’ latest mock draft, Cleveland is projected to trade up for the No. 1 overall pick in a deal with the New York Giants. The proposed package includes the No. 3 pick, the No. 28 pick, a 2027 first-round selection, and a 2027 third-round selection. The move would give the Browns a direct path to selecting the quarterback many evaluators consider the most complete passer in the class.

That quarterback is Indiana star Fernando Mendoza, who accounted for 73 total touchdowns over his career and enters the draft cycle as one of the most decorated prospects in recent memory. Cummings said Mendoza’s résumé and evaluation grade justify Cleveland’s willingness to pay a premium. “Mendoza won the Heisman. He helped lead the Indiana Hoosiers to their first Big Ten Championship win since 1967. He nearly led the nation with an incredible PFSN QB Impact score of 93.2 and a blue-chip draft evaluation grade,” Cummings said. “This is what a franchise quarterback looks like.

This is worth trading whatever it takes for the Browns.” The move would also reflect Cleveland’s growing concern about Shedeur Sanders and his long-term viability as a starter. Sanders showed flashes during his rookie season but struggled with consistency and overall efficiency. The Cleveland Browns are among the worst teams in the NFL and have already shown that their preferred method of rebuilding is through youthful players on inexpensive contracts. Alex Kay of Bleacher Report predicted on November 18 that Cleveland will select Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana in the 2026 draft to replace Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as the quarterback of the... Mendoza has helped turn a long-suffering Indiana program into a national powerhouse and could have that same type of transformative effect on the Browns.

As the No. 1 QB and No. 3 overall prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department’s big board, there are few flaws in Mendoza’s game. B/R draft scout Dame Parson highlighted a lack of high-end athleticism and raw post-snap manipulation abilities as concerns, but those are largely overshadowed by his immense arm talent, good sense for pressure, toughness, processing... CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns' 13-6 victory over Pittsburgh may have been celebrated in the locker room, but it intensified the franchise’s most critical question: Is Shedeur Sanders the quarterback of the future, or... The fifth-round rookie continued showing flashes of potential against the Steelers, displaying improved pocket presence and decision-making that has the Orange and Brown Talk podcast hosts questioning whether these seven games should convince the...

“I don’t think there’s any way anyone who’s looking at this objectively can look at the way Shedeur Sanders has played and definitively say he is this team’s QB1 moving forward for the next... The podcast highlighted a critical concern that will weigh heavily in the front office’s evaluation: Sanders’ propensity for turnovers. Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot emphasized this issue: “I think one of the things that they’re going to have to determine and one of the things that he’s going to have to work... So you have to figure out is Shedeur going to be one of these people that throws a lot of nice passes, a lot of explosives, a lot of touchdowns and a lot of... What makes this decision even more complicated is the Browns’ defensive strength. With a defense that completely shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers, the team could potentially win with a quarterback who simply avoids mistakes rather than carries the franchise.

Given all of the holes in the Browns' lineup, does it really make sense to splurge on a quarterback in the 2026 draft? ...... read full story Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is arguably the top quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he could be the next name added to history’s most infamous jersey. While the NFL Draft order has yet to be set, it’s safe to assume that the Cleveland Browns will have one of the top picks in the draft. Despite having one of the league’s better defenses, the team currently has an underwhelming 2-8 record and would have the third-overall pick if the season ended today.

This team desperately needs a franchise quarterback, and Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay believes Mendoza is the man for the job. “The Browns can’t afford to whiff if they decide to take a crack at a first-round quarterback prospect for the first time since selecting Baker Mayfield at No. 1 in 2018,” Kay writes. “With Cleveland trending towards becoming the first of many QB-needy squads to go on the clock during the 2026 draft, Fernando Mendoza would be the optimal choice.” Fernando Mendoza is an intriguing prospect, but would the Browns use a top-five pick on a quarterback just one year after using a third-round pick on Dillon Gabriel and a fifth-round pick on Shedeur... If the Browns had selected a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they probably wouldn’t even consider selecting Fernando Mendoza.

However, since Gabriel and Sanders were Day 2 and Day 3 picks, respectively, a new quarterback is on the table. After starting the season with veteran Joe Flacco under center, Gabriel took over early in the season. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done too well, as he’s completed just 59.2% of his passes for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions while going 1-5. The advanced metrics aren’t much better, as his 49.0 PFF grade is the worst in the league among qualified starters. Despite this subpar performance, it still took a concussion for Shedeur Sanders to see the field. Widely projected to be a first-round pick, the Colorado product fell to the fifth round and spent most of his rookie season as Gabriel’s primary backup.

However, injuries thrust him into action last week, and he did not play well against the Baltimore Ravens. While he made one or two nice throws, he ultimately completed just four of his 16 attempts for 47 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. He also added another 16 yards and one fumble on the ground as the team lost to the rival Baltimore Ravens. Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders has shown development but the 2026 NFL draft could bring Dante Moore, Fernando Mendoza In sports, in general, in 2025, there is no room for nuance. We know there is here at DBN in our comment section and in The Feed, but the general sports world speaks in certainties that really don’t exist and cliché sayings (both old and new)...

During the Cleveland Browns’ Week 16 game against the Buffalo Bills, I was reminded of a few of those certainties and clichés. For example, many have buried QB Shedeur Sanders as having no chance of being a top-level starter in the NFL, while others have looked at the exact same performances and seen enough to know... The cliche “if it hits your hands, you should catch it” came up after Sanders’ first interception. In my analysis, Sanders’ throw was behind and thrown too hard for RB Quinshon Judkins to be able to haul it in easily. A great receiver may have been able to make the catch, but assuming Cleveland’s running back should have caught it was too far for what I saw. For others:

For what it is worth, Michael Keefe is a friend of mine who understands football and has an amazing sports voice (literal voice); we just disagree here. I’ll forever argue in the nuance, especially when most others are only arguing on the extremes and in clichés. Let’s be very clear about Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders' odds in the NFL. Of the 93 quarterbacks drafted on Day 3 since 2010, only three, Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, and Brock Purdy, have gone on to become full-time starters. That number bumps up to seven if you include a few others, like Gardner Minshew, who’ve become spot starters. Is Sanders an elite player in the making, defying all odds?

Almost certainly not. But if we take a second and recontextualize what it means to be legendary, then yes, he can still achieve those heights. Sanders should’ve been a first-round player, even if he wasn’t quite that level of prospect. Miami’s Cam Ward took a clear pole position as QB1 and never conceded it. Sanders boasted production, accuracy, and an air-raid mentality, but he wasn’t particularly athletic, held the ball too long, took a bunch of sacks, and didn’t have an upper-echelon arm.It made some sense for a... Then, early on Day 2, the Saints drafted Tyler Shough.

Then the Seahawks drafted Jalen Milroe. Sanders' draft day slide became the story of the draft, and by the start of the 5th round, it was beginning to look like he may not be drafted at all. The Browns would stop his slide, even after drafting Dillon Gabriel earlier in the draft. Sanders would be one of eight quarterbacks drafted on Day 3. He was an outspoken prospect with a larger-than-life dad. To some degree, it made sense that he might fall some teams' boards, especially after he reportedly bombed a couple of interviews.

People Also Search

Shedeur Sanders Celebrates After A Touchdown Pass To Harold Fannin

Shedeur Sanders celebrates after a touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr. in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 31-29 loss to the Titans. Nick Cammett / Getty Images Nothing is ever clean and clear with Cleveland Browns football. There is always a complication to the composition. Within a span of about four days, our Dane Brugler predicted the Cleveland Browns to trade up to No.

1 And Select Indiana Quarterback Fernando Mendoza In His First

1 and select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in his first mock draft. Hours later, Mendoza backed up the high praise with an excellent performance in the Hoosiers’ upset of Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Fans didn’t even have enough time to process Mendoza’s performance and whether a trade-up is worth it before Shedeur Sanders dazzled with 364 yards and four touchdowns (including one r...

The Cleveland Browns Could Be In A Favorable Spot Late

The Cleveland Browns could be in a favorable spot late in the first round, especially if the board breaks the right way. Some think the Browns will take a quarterback to replace Shedeur Sanders, while others don’t expect that to be the case. Cleveland doesn’t need to force a pick at QB, but adding a long-term option might make sense if Kevin Stefanski doesn’t love Sanders. The Browns don’t have en...

“It All Works Out For The Cleveland Browns In This

“It all works out for the Cleveland Browns in this NFL mock draft, with Ty Simpson falling right to them. He’s not the flashiest quarterback prospect by any means, but he’s incredibly advanced as a processor and decision-maker for someone with such limited starting experience. Plus, with the top-five pick used on Carnell Tate, Simpson would be stepping into an offense with two great playmakers in ...

In PFSN’s Ian Cummings’ Latest Mock Draft, Cleveland Is Projected

In PFSN’s Ian Cummings’ latest mock draft, Cleveland is projected to trade up for the No. 1 overall pick in a deal with the New York Giants. The proposed package includes the No. 3 pick, the No. 28 pick, a 2027 first-round selection, and a 2027 third-round selection. The move would give the Browns a direct path to selecting the quarterback many evaluators consider the most complete passer in the c...