At the start of the 2026 NFL offseason, many were expecting the Cleveland Browns to make some kind of move at the quarterback position. Whether that was trading QB Dillon Gabriel to the Atlanta Falcons, signing QB Malik Willis, luring QB Derek Carr out of retirement, or trying to add from the likes of Kyler Murray, Anthony Richardson, and Geno Smith.
Barring a Richardson trade, the Browns are left to look to the 2026 NFL draft if they want to provide strong competition for Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun
Watson, along with Gabriel. Unless Jimmy Haslam really has Arch Manning as the true desire of his heart.
It is possible that Sanders or Watson is the quarterback that new HC Todd Monken is excited to work with in 2026. Monken may also have a lot of interest in QB Ty Simpson in the upcoming draft, given their history and the reported work the Browns have done on the Alabama quarterback.
For many Cleveland fans, QB Drew Allar is a player of interest. Much like when QB Mitch Trubisky was coming out of college, local ties draw a strong reaction from fans. However, Allar may not be the third quarterback off the board (behind Fernando Mendoza and Simpson), as that honor could go to North Dakota State’s Cole Payton:
Payton is seen by many as a developmental quarterback, but the upside with his accuracy and running ability has many wondering if teams will push him up their boards based on his upside. Payton had a very good Senior Bowl, which will help his stock:
While Allar struggled in college (most blame Penn State’s offense) while playing a ton of snaps and is coming off a major injury, Payton exploded in his one year as a starter at NDSU with 72% completion on just 225 attempts for 2,719 yards with 16 TDs and four INTs. He also rushed for 777 yards and 13 touchdowns.
According to the Consensus Big Board, neither Allar nor Payton is the third overall quarterback, with Garrett Nussmeier and Carson Beck rated above Allar and Taylen Green also about Payton. While Allar, Nussmeier, Beck, and Green all played significant snaps in their college careers, proving both the good and the bad, Payton’s limited reps could give NFL teams some excitement about what he could become.
As can his career highlights:
In the end, Cleveland might want to see what they have with Sanders instead of investing a Day 1 or 2 pick in a quarterback in 2026. The 2027 draft class is assumed to be much better and Sanders didn’t have much to work with during his rookie season.
If the Browns do decide to select a quarterback early, Payton’s upside and explosive ability are something that matches what Monken has described he likes in a quarterback.
