The story of the 2026 Cleveland Browns is not yet written, but the narrative as soon as the year is over will shift to which quarterback the team should pursue in the 2027 NFL draft. Right now all signs point to Arch Manning of Texas, but perhaps they shouldn’t.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is apparently obsessed with Manning, per multiple reports over the last couple of seasons, including one from Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland on Friday, September 18.
“I have to say this because I’ve heard a lot of rumors, but I heard Jimmy is not done going after Nick Saban,” Grossi said. “Now Nick wouldn’t coach, but he would have some kind of role — and to combine him with Arch Manning.”
Haslam’s infatuation with Manning makes sense: the last name and pedigree, the big NIL deal and how that marketability should translate to the next level, the starting QB on college football’s No. 1 team who just led a 20-point, fourth-quarter comeback over Ohio State.
Manning offers plenty to admire. More importantly he represents hope for a Browns franchise long bereft of any notions of Super Bowl glory.
But a few weeks into the new season, Miami quarterback Darian Mensah brings all of that, and seemingly more, to the table.
Miami QB Darian Mensah Off to Unconscious Start This Season
Mensah spent one season at Tulane in 2024 and another at Duke last year, where he threw for a combined completion rate of 66.5 percent for 6,696 yards, 56 TDs and 12 INTs.
Through three contests with the Hurricanes this season, Mensah has completed nearly 90 percent of his throws for 873 yards and 11 TD passes. His completion percentage and TD total were first in the FBS heading into the NCAA’s slate of games on Saturday, September 19.
Jordan Reid of ESPN posted video of Mensah before Miami’s 33-20 victory over Wake Forest on Friday night, then updated the post following a lights out performance for the QB in the victory.
“Darian Mensah | QB | Miami | 6-3, 205,” Reid captioned the video. “Good look at one of the hottest passers in the country. He’s thrown more TDs (8) than incompletions (4) this year.”
“Mensah finishes 30/34, 220 passing yards and 3 TDs,” Reid wrote. “His scorching hot start continues. Saw him get pressured and hit some in the fourth quarter. Poise and command are two of my biggest takeaways after seeing him up-close.”
After Friday’s game, Mensah has tallied 11 TDs compared to eight incompletions across Miami’s 3-0 start to the season.
Browns Have 2 Young QBs on Roster in Shedeur Sanders, Taylen Green With Dillon Gabriel on IR
Whether the Browns can get Manning or Mensah next April remains to be seen.
Cleveland is 0-1 with Deshaun Watson as the starting QB and will play the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on Sunday in Week 2. The Bucs are favored by 8.5 points as of late Saturday morning, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Several analyst predictions have Cleveland replacing Watson with Shedeur Sanders by Week 3, when the Browns return to Northeast Ohio for their home-opener against the Carolina Panthers.
The odds are reasonable that Cleveland will finish somewhere inside the top 10 of next year’s draft order based on overall win/loss record. The Browns also have a second first-round pick by way of the Los Angeles Rams that the team can use to move up the board via trade if necessary.
Sanders is in his second year after Cleveland selected him early in the fifth round in 2025, while sixth-round rookie Taylen Green is on the Browns’ roster as well. Former third-rounder Dillon Gabriel is on IR and won’t be available until Week 5.
Browns Should Shift Focus Off Arch Manning, Toward Emerging Star QB in ACC