Todd McShay Projects No. 1 Pick Trade in Flash NFL Mock Draft, Gives Top 10 Prospects

Shedeur Sanders has turned heads at times during his rookie season, but he may not be the franchise quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

At least not if things unfold the way draft analyst Todd McShay envisions.

McShay released a flash mock draft Thursday (24-minute mark) and projected the Browns to trade up to the No. 1 pick and select Indiana's Fernando Mendoza with the top selection of the 2026 NFL draft.

Here is a look at the top 10 in his mock:

Todd McShay's Flash Mock Draft

1. Cleveland Browns (trade with NYG): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
2. Las Vegas Raiders: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
3. Tennessee Titans: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
4. New York Giants (trade with CLE): Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
5. New Orleans Saints: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
6. Washington Commanders: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
7. New York Jets: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
8. Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
9. Los Angeles Rams (from ATL): Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
10. Cincinnati Bengals: David Bailey, LB, Texas Tech

McShay also listed his top-10 prospects (9:20 mark), which looks similar but not exact to his projected top-10 picks:

Todd McShay's Top 10 Prospects

1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
2. Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
3. Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
4. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
5. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
6. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
7. Makai Lemon, WR, USC
8. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
9. Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
10. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami

The most notable development in the mock draft is Cleveland trading up to select a quarterback. Those who believe in Sanders may not like it, but McShay doesn't seem to be in that category.

"I'm not buying for a millisecond that Shedeur Sanders is their long-term answer at quarterback," McShay said. "I'm just not. ... I just don't see it, especially if it's the current regime."

While Sanders has shown some improvement with more playing time in his first season, he was also a fifth-round pick and started the year third on the depth chart. That doesn't exactly scream the Browns fully believe in his ability to be their franchise quarterback for the next decade.

If they see Mendoza as a surefire option at the NFL level, they may not pass on the opportunity to choose him.

Indiana Wins Big Ten Title

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Mendoza may very well be coming off a Heisman Trophy and national title by the time the draft arrives. He has helped turn the Hoosiers around from a traditionally poor football program to the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff and delivered on some of the biggest stages of the season.

Whether it was throwing the game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute at Penn State, leading a go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter at Oregon or defeating arguably the nation's best defense in the Big Ten championship game against Ohio State, he has consistently come through in the clutch.

The Browns would hope that habit continued at the next level if this is how the draft unfolded.