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By Cole Sullivan
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The Cleveland Browns are currently 1-5, and after starting the season with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco for the first four games, the team shifted to rookie Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick out of Oregon in the 2025 NFL draft.
Gabriel’s promotion ultimately led to Flacco being traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, which has left fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders positioned as the backup behind Gabriel for the foreseeable future.
But in looking ahead to next season, Sanders’ role in Cleveland could be in jeopardy.
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ESPN’s latest 2026 mock draft, conducted by Jordan Reid, projects the Browns selecting another Oregon quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick — Dante Moore — potentially positioning him as the next face of the franchise.
"Moore was surging up draft boards prior to an underwhelming performance against Indiana, but he is a calm distributor with the arm strength to get the ball to all three levels of the field," Reid wrote. "His 72% completion percentage ranks ninth in the FBS.
"Moore has only 11 career starts, but he is primed to be near the top of a QB class filled with question marks. The Browns have plenty of questions of their own under center, as rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders haven’t established themselves as long-term options."
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It’s still unclear when—or if—Sanders will get a chance to start this season. If the Browns decide to stick with Gabriel into next offseason, Sanders’ opportunity to earn a legitimate shot in Cleveland could be extremely limited.
Gabriel’s first two career starts have been a mixed bag. He’s completed just over 55% of his passes for 411 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, but his performance hasn’t been particularly eye-catching. He posted a 66.3 passer rating in the team’s Week 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As of now, Gabriel is expected to start again at home on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, while Sanders remains prepared behind him, waiting for an opportunity that may never come after being selected in the fifth round out of Colorado.
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