The Cleveland Browns have perhaps the most intriguing quarterback depth chart in the NFL heading into the 2025 season. With Deshaun Watson expected to miss the entire 2025 campaign after re-rupturing his Achilles back in January, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders will all be competing for the starting job once training camp rolls around.
With both Gabriel and Sanders being rookies, it looks like Flacco and Pickett have the inside track over them, but you never know what will happen in the NFL (after all, they weren’t expected to select two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft). And even with a pair of rookies in town, that may not necessarily prevent Cleveland from dipping back into the well when the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around, as they have been predicted to draft another quarterback come next April.
Browns Predicted to Select Cade Klubnik in 2026 NFL Draft
Many folks believed the Browns may have lucked themselves into their quarterback of the future when they managed to scoop up Sanders, who was widely expected to be a first-round pick, in the fifth round of the draft. However, there’s no guarantee he pans out, and with Cleveland expected to be one of the worst teams in the league in 2025, they could end up with another high draft pick in 2026.
If that ends up happening, and the Browns don’t feel confident in either Gabriel, Sanders, or even Pickett, who was a first-round pick back in 2022, they could select another quarterback. As of right now, the top quarterback in the 2026 draft class is largely unknown, as it will depend on how Arch Manning plays for the Texas Longhorns in his first year as a starter, and whether or not he ends up declaring for the draft.
In the event Manning decides to go pro, he could very well be an option for the Browns in the 2026 draft. But in the event he doesn’t, it looks like Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik will be the top quarterback in this draft class. With that in mind, Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network recently predicted that Cleveland will select Klubnik with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
“Cade Klubnik made considerable strides in 2024. He’s an accurate passer with good poise in the pocket and underrated mobility. His consistency, rhythm, and decision-making all give him a high floor and project him as a potential long-term starter in the NFL,” Infante wrote.
“Although the Cleveland Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in 2025, neither came with the kind of draft capital that typically signals a long-term commitment. If Cleveland finishes with the league’s worst record, they’d be smart to take a swing at a true franchise QB.”
Should the Browns Select Cade Klubnik in the 2026 NFL Draft?
GettyCade Klubnik of the Clemson Tigers.
Klubnik took a major step forward for Clemson in 2024, as he threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns, while also rushing for 463 yards and seven touchdowns. Simply put, if he can put together another strong season in 2025, he could end up being the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, regardless of what Manning ends up deciding to do.
The Browns will see how the 2025 season unfolds before making any decisions on the quarterback position, but given how things look now, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them address the spot again in the draft next year. And if that ends up being the route they go, they could lock in on Klubnik and look to make him their quarterback of the future.
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