If you were to play a word association game with even the most casual NFL fan, the response to the phrase “Cleveland Browns” is almost guaranteed to be, “needs a quarterback.”
Such is life when you are a franchise that has cycled through 42 different starting quarterbacks since 1999. Young, old, promising, washed-up, emergency starters, and starters who would rather spend practice week in Las Vegas. Name the scenario, and odds are there is a Browns quarterback to fill the square.
Cleveland is back
at it again this year, as there is a growing movement to accept that Deshaun Watson, who has not been good since 2020 and has only played 19 games in the past five years, is the best quarterback currently on the roster. (Let’s take a break to allow the readers to let that sink in for a moment.)
Because the Browns find themselves in a familiar situation, just about every eligible quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft will be, or has been, linked to the team in a mock draft.
There is one quarterback, given head coach Todd Monken’s past success, who may be on the team’s radar, however, and that is Taylen Green of Arkansas.
Name: Taylen Green
Position: Quarterback
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 227 pounds
College: Arkansas Razorbacks
2025 Passing Stats: 12 games, 60.7 completion percentage, 2,714 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 143.2 quarterback rating
2025 Rushing Stats: 12 games, 777 rushing yards, 5.6 yards per rush, 64.8 rushing yards per game, 8 rushing touchdowns.
Career Passing Stats: 53 games, 60.1 completion percentage, 9,662 passing yards, 59 passing touchdowns, 35 interceptions, 138.8 quarterback rating
Career Rushing Stats: 53 games, 2,405 rushing yards, 5.2 yards per rush, 45.4 rushing yards per game, 35 rushing touchdowns.
Average “Big Board” Position as of Publishing Date from Mock Draft Database: 149th overall, projected fifth round
The Draft Network’s Grade/Round Value: Round 4 – Developmental Traits
What an Expert is Saying
A long, rangy, dual-threat quarterback with upside, Green’s ability to generate explosive plays as a runner and passer helped keep his offense afloat. In-game consistency has been a sticking point, though. He has a long, unorthodox delivery and tends to baby too many throws. He can generate enough velocity and distance to stress defenses over the second and third levels. Green puts the ball in harm’s way at an alarming rate, which will translate to greater trouble against more talented defenders and more complicated coverage reads. His ability to win with his legs on called runs or pocket breaks pushes his value beyond his passing profile. Green’s upside will be tantalizing, but his ceiling will only track with his growth as a passer.
What an Expert is Saying (Bonus Round):
(Green’s) size will be alluring to general managers and head coaches. He is a legit athlete at just under 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds who rushed for more than 2,400 yards in his four seasons as a starter. He is a good rushing threat with experience in the pistol and shotgun as an RPO quarterback. As a passer, his athletic gifts show up in a naturally strong arm that can push the ball vertically.
However, he is still far too inconsistent as a passer. His footwork is OK, but it can be erratic. Pair that with a longer, sidearm throwing motion, and you have a faulty foundation for accuracy, evidenced by lower accuracy and ball-placement scores. He also doesn’t have the passing numbers you’d expect under pressure or on the run. Despite being a good athlete, he has a high sack rate, in part due to an average time to throw well above 3.00 seconds.
Fit with the Browns
One of the reasons that Green will be linked to the Browns is because of the success that Monken had with quarterback Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. Green, like Jackson, is a dual-threat who can tuck the ball in and take off when needed.
That all sounds good, except for the reality that Green is not on the same level as Jackson. There is no shame in that, Jackson is a two-time league MVP after all (even if others played deserved it more). So while Jackson is the focal point of Baltimore’s offense, Green is projected to be a development player who, if all goes well, could see the field for a handful of plays in any given game.
It is not unreasonable to believe that Monken could get the most out of Green, but with the Browns needing to focus all their attention on finding an actual starting quarterback, even using a late-round selection on Green feels like a luxury the team can’t afford.
Browns Player Drafting Could Impact
If the Browns draft a quarterback, then Dillon Gabriel is likely the odd man out. (He may be anyway.) If the Browns draft a good quarterback, then Shedeur Sanders could be taking his show somewhere else this fall.
Priority: The red light is flashing away non-stop.
What are your thoughts on Taylen Green? Should the Browns take a gamble on him? Let us know in the comments!
