The 2025 NFL season has not gone how the Cleveland Browns envisioned. Entering Week 13, the team is sitting at 3-8 and at the bottom of the AFC North. Shedeur Sanders was recently named the starting quarterback, and it will be interesting to see if the rookie can impress over the final stretch of the season.
Sanders got a win over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first start, but the numbers weren’t eye-popping. Considering the Browns are slated to have multiple first-round picks in 2026, could they still be in the market for a quarterback?
Browns Predicted to Trade Up for Elite QB Prospect
Currently, the Tennessee Titans are on pace to secure the top pick in 2026. However, Ian Cummings of PFSN recently published a seven-round mock draft that has the Browns making a bold move in the first round.
Thanks to a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first round of the 2025 draft, the Browns have two first-round selections this year. As a result, Cummings predicts the Browns will trade with the Titans for the top pick.
In this scenario, the deal looks like this:
Browns receive: No. 1 pick
Titans receive: No. 6 pick, No. 22 pick, No. 72 pick, 2027 first-round pick
With the top pick, the Browns would select Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. Regarding the selection of Moore, Cummings wrote, “The resemblance between Moore and C.J. Stroud has been uncanny from near the start, but Moore has delivered some of his best play late in the season. The Browns can’t afford to go another offseason without a true franchise QB candidate. Moore ends the complacency.
“Moore is a smooth, effortless distributor with easy velocity and platform diversity, and he has the anticipatory capacity and clutch gene to be a difference-maker under center even in high-pressure moments.”
Moore is in his first season as the starter for the Oregon Ducks. So far, Moore has thrown for 2,447 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions in 11 games. The quarterback has also rushed for 180 yards and completed 72.9% of his passes.
The Browns could be of the opinion that Moore is too good to pass up. If that’s the case, the team has plenty of draft capital to make a trade up.
However, Sanders still has time to convince the team he’s the franchise quarterback. In his first start, Sanders earned a 72.8 grade from PFSN’s QB Impact ranking, which was a significant improvement from his 63.4 grade in his first game.
Through one start and one half in relief, Sanders has thrown for 256 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Sanders’ next opportunity will be against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.