With the Cleveland Browns not making the postseason for the second straight season, it’s time to step back and evaluate everything and prepare for next season. During a rebuild, it’s not usually fun due
to the amount of losing, but you can always think about the potential scenarios with the pieces that you have around the team. For the Browns, most of those are on defense.
Instead of focusing on the defense, let’s shift the focus to the offense. It’s safe to say the entire offense needs a complete overhaul. Scheme, coaches, everything needs to be fixed. The question is how the offense will look with either sticking with quarterback Shedeur Sanders or picking someone high in the 2026 NFL draft, likely Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore.
Browns revamped offense with QB Shedeur Sanders in 2026
If the Browns choose to invest in Shedeur Sanders and revamp the offense by surrounding him with a better supporting cast (with weapons and a better offensive line), what could the ceiling be for the team in general?
Potential Starting Lineup in 2026:
QB: Shedeur Sanders
RB1/RB2: Quinshon Judkins/Dylan Sampson
WR1: Carnell Tate
WR2: Jerry Jeudy
WR3: Deebo Samuel
TE1/TE2: Harold Fannin Jr/Eli Stowers (R)
LT: Caleb Lomu
LG: Wyatt Teller
C: Luke Wypler
RG: Teven Jenkins
RT: Dawand Jones
At a glance, this is assuming the Browns choose to invest in Sanders. As far as the coach but this offense could be around a top 15 or 20 range, but the ceiling for the team is around 8-9 wins. In the AFC, it’s not enough to win the AFC North, let alone get to the Super Bowl. Sanders’s ceiling isn’t officially determined yet, but with a supporting cast, it’s hard to imagine the team is a legitimate contender in an AFC that will likely get better, at least for next year.
Good, but not good enough to get you where you need to go.
Browns revamped offense with either Mendoza/Moore in 2026
In this scenario, the Browns ended up with QB Dante Moore instead of Fernando Mendoza
QB: Dante Moore
RB1/RB2: Quinshon Judkins/Dylan Sampson
WR1: Makai Lemon
WR2: Romeo Doubs
WR3: Christian Kirk
TE1/TE2: Harold Fannin Jr/Oscar Delp
LT: Rasheed Walker
LG: Teven Jenkins
C: Luke Wypler
RG: Wyatt Teller
RT: Gennings Dunker
At a glance, this offense has a better chance of being potent with Moore or Mendoza under center. Cleveland’s offense doesn’t have a ton of talent; they need someone who can raise the ceiling of the unit. Moore has been getting comparisons to Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud (which isn’t far off), but we’ve seen how Stroud elevated a Houston offense in his rookie season. With this unit, you can win potentially 10+ wins and be a legit threat to win the AFC North as well as be a sleeper to win the AFC next season.
The Browns need a lot of help offensively, but what they really need is someone that can elevate the entire team and get them to new heights. It’s early to say Sanders can provide that, but he hasn’t shown it, so the Browns should invest in someone who can.
