The Cleveland Browns have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, and analysts have long speculated their likely path forward will be to select a quarterback near the top of proceedings — but Shedeur Sanders is going to have something to say about that.
He let his play speak for him in Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans, reeling off a stat line of 23-of-42 passing for 364 yards, three TDs and one INT. Sanders added 29 rushing yards and one score on the ground.
Cleveland lost, but Sanders was probably the least to blame of anyone on the sidelines, players and coaches included. He has already earned the starting job over the final month of the season from a head coach in Kevin Stefanski who clearly did not believe in Sanders until he saw what he could do in an actual regular season game.
Sanders’ next feat will be trying to convince the front office and Stefanski, or whatever head coach potentially replaces him this offseason, that the team is better served by drafting talent around him rather than selecting a top signal-caller to compete with/replace him as the starting quarterback.
Field Yates of ESPN dropped his first 2026 mock draft of the season on Wednesday, December 10, in which he predicted that the Browns will keep Sanders and use what is currently the No. 4 pick to give him a No. 1 target by selecting wide receiver Carnell Tate out of Ohio State.
Carnell Tate Next in Long Line of Dominant NFL Wide Receivers Coming Out of Ohio State
GettyOhio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate.
Yates acknowledged a strong chance remains that Cleveland takes a swing at a QB early in the draft, but the foundation of his projection is a bet on Sanders coming through over the last four games of the year and the Browns falling a little further down the board than some might expect.
“The Browns will likely have conversations about the quarterback position, but Shedeur Sanders’ growth in three games as the starter has been encouraging,” Yates wrote. “And in this scenario, the two clear-cut best signal-callers in my rankings are off the board.”
The list of Buckeyes receivers currently dominating across the NFL is long, and Yates asserted that Tate is the next in line.
“Tate is the next first-round lock from the Ohio State receiver room, and he would be awesome in the Cleveland pass game,” Yates continued. “He has very good size, runs terrific routes and can make contested catches. He would bring a vertical ability, as he averaged 17.5 yards per catch this season. Also of note: Tate has zero drops on 58 targets this season. No Browns wide receiver has reached 40 catches or 500 receiving yards this season. Time for an upgrade.”
Browns Can Address WR With Carnell Tate, OT With Kadyn Proctor if They Stick With Shedeur Sanders at QB
GettyLeft tackle Kadyn Proctor #74 of Alabama.
If Sanders excels down the stretch of this season and the defense continues playing well to match, Cleveland could win another game or two.
In that scenario, the Browns would almost certainly need to package their second first-round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars (currently No. 27) along with their own selection to move into the top two or three and nab Fernando Mendoza of Indiana or Dante Moore of Oregon, assuming the latter declares himself eligible.
However, if Cleveland believes in Sanders and drafts Tate at No. 4, the Browns will have a chance to continue their impressive rookie rebuild from 2025 with a second pick late in Round 1. As Yates predicted this scenario to play out in his initial mock, he has Cleveland addressing another position of need by drafting offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor out of Alabama.
“Some scouts aren’t convinced that Proctor will hold up against twitchy NFL edge rushers. But there are no doubts about his experience (three years at starting left tackle) and overwhelming power in the running game,” Yates wrote. “After allowing nine sacks as a true freshman, he has surrendered just four over the past two seasons.”
Browns Predicted to Keep Shedeur Sanders as QB1, Pair Him With Elite Wideout