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 future.
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 abilities and football IQ.
Fernando Mendoza Heisman Trophy Favorite Heading Into Final Week of Indiana’s Regular Season
GettyQuarterback Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers.
Mendoza is 11-0 with the Hoosiers in 2025 and has thrown for 2,641 yards and 30 TDs on 73 percent passing since taking over the starting job.
Indiana is No. 2 in both national polls, as well as the current College Football Playoff rankings with one game remaining on its regular season schedule against Purdue on November 28. Should the Hoosiers win that contest, they are likely to face the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game on December 6, assuming OSU can defeat Rutgers on November 22 and No. 18 Michigan in the Big House a week later on on November 29.
Mendoza is currently the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy with odds of plus-160 over Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin at plus-180, per ESPN.
Shedeur Sanders Will Get First Career NFL Start Against Raiders in Week 12
GettyQuarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns.
Unfortunately for Sanders, it is almost a foregone conclusion in the minds of most national analysts that Cleveland will seek a signal-caller in the 2026 draft.
The Tennessee Titans have the worst record in the league at 1-9, while the New York Giants are technically second at 2-9. However, each of those franchises has a rookie QB of the future in Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, respectively.
The Browns are tied for the third-worst record in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders. Sanders will earn the first start of his career against the Raiders in the desert on Sunday, November 23.
Should the Browns lose, they will be in excellent position to select the first QB off the board next April. The team also has a second first-round pick that it acquired via a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year to move up in the top five if necessary.
Sanders filled in for Gabriel (1-5) during the second half last week against the Baltimore Ravens, after the latter left the game at halftime with a concussion. Sanders finished the afternoon 4-of-16 passing for 47 yards and an interception. He also took two sacks and fumbled once, though the Browns recovered the football on that play.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Browns Predicted to Ditch Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel for 30-TD QB appeared first on Heavy Sports.