The Browns haven't even started their 2025 NFL season yet, and already they're mocked to take a quarterback with the projected No. 1 pick next April.
After a hectic offseason that saw Joe Flacco win the starting quarterback job over Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, the Browns still don't feel like a playoff contender and could be right back where they started next year. If Cleveland earns the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, ESPN's Field Yates has the team taking a surprising name to finally get their quarterback of the future: Arch Manning.
Yates writes:
On the other hand, Daniel Flick's 2026 mock draft didn't include Manning at all under the presumption that the young signal-caller wouldn't declare for next year's draft, as his grandfather Archie announced earlier this month. "Arch isn't going to do that. He'll be at Texas," Archie said, when asked about whether his grandson is planning to enter the 2026 draft.
However, the Longhorns star appeared to hedge his grandfather's comments this week when he admitted he didn't know how Archie came to that conclusion. Manning instead emphasized he was staying focused on the present, which means leading Texas' offense in his first year as starter in 2025.
Manning, 21, spent his first two years at Texas as Quinn Ewers's backup but now is ready to take the reins ahead of a highly anticipated campaign. He's expected to be an early first-round pick in the NFL in the coming years, though time will tell when he's actually ready to go pro.
