Browns Get Cade Klubnik Despite Shedeur Sanders in Todd McShay's 2026 NFL Mock Draft

The Cleveland Browns quarterback discourse may just be getting started.

While the AFC North team turned heads during the 2025 NFL draft by selecting Oregon's Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round, they may once again be in the market for a signal-caller during the 2026 draft.

At least NFL draft insider Todd McShay believes that could be the case.

McShay released his first 2026 mock draft Thursday, and he projected Cleveland to select Clemson's Cade Klubnik with the No. 5 overall pick. 

The full mock is available at the 56-minute mark, and he forecasted LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier as the No. 1 pick to the New York Jets, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs as the No. 2 pick to the New Orleans Saints, Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods as the No. 3 pick to the New York Giants and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers as the No. 4 pick to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Browns picking at No. 5 overall means McShay doesn't believe they will have a good 2025 season, which would be anything but surprising. After all, they are coming off a 3-14 campaign and have questions under center with Deshaun Watson underperforming since he arrived and suffering yet another Achilles injury.

There are nothing but question marks elsewhere on the depth chart as well.

Joe Flacco is 40 years old, Kenny Pickett is anything but a star and just had his fifth-year contract option declined, and Gabriel and Sanders are both unknown rookies who were mid-round picks despite the amount of noise surrounding the Colorado quarterback.

Klubnik will be under the spotlight as a draft candidate during the upcoming college football season after he led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff in 2024 by completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Another excellent season could put him in position to be an early pick where teams like the Browns may be waiting.