A Lance Zierlein NFL mock draft projection has Cleveland taking Carson Beck at No. 74, adding fuel to an already active quarterback competition headed into 2026.
The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation is entering a tense new phase, and a recent NFL mock draft is making it feel even more immediate.
Misryoum reports that Lance Zierlein’s updated projection links the Browns with Miami quarterback Carson Beck at No. 74 overall, with Beck the only passer listed off the board in the second or third rounds in that specific mock.
That storyline lands in the middle of a question the Browns can’t avoid: who is actually the starting quarterback in 2026?. Cleveland enters this offseason with three quarterbacks on the roster—Shedeur Sanders. Dillon Gabriel. and Deshaun Watson—each representing a different chapter of the team’s recent uncertainty.. Sanders, who finished 2025 as QB1, offers continuity.. Gabriel brought an earlier QB1 role for six starts before a concussion disrupted his momentum.. Watson. meanwhile. was the starter in 2024. but has dealt with serious availability issues. missing the back half of 2024 and all of 2025 after a torn Achilles that followed a difficult stretch.
The result is a quarterback competition that Zac Jackson described as “underway” during Browns minicamp. and Misryoum would add that this isn’t a competition that can be treated as background noise.. When a roster has multiple viable options—and at least one situation shaped by health setbacks—the “who starts?” debate becomes a weekly storyline. not a distant offseason discussion.. Each rep at practice. each decision in the play-caller’s rhythm. and each visible progression or limitation can influence how the organization views risk versus reward.
Beck’s name popping up in the middle rounds is significant for one simple reason: it suggests Cleveland may be planning beyond what’s already on the roster.. Beck spent four years at Georgia before transferring to Miami in 2025. and his production profile gives evaluators something tangible to build on.. He helped guide the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff national championship game. finishing the season completing 72.4% of his passes for 3. 813 yards. averaging 8.2 yards per attempt.. He threw 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions—numbers that tend to matter to teams looking for controlled aggression rather than pure volatility.
From a career standpoint. Beck’s overall efficiency and output are part of what makes the mock projection feel plausible: 69.5% completion rate. 11. 725 passing yards. 88 touchdown passes. and 32 interceptions.. Even without overreading a mock draft. a selection like this would tell a clear message to the room: Cleveland is serious about securing a long-term quarterback solution. not just sorting out depth.
Two other first-round quarterbacks were also taken in the same Thursday draft window referenced in the mock update—Fernando Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders at No.. 1, and Ty Simpson to the Los Angeles Rams at No.. 13.. Misryoum notes that those kinds of early picks can shift team behavior in the middle rounds.. When top talent is snapped up fast. organizations with a particular vision sometimes move sooner than they expected to avoid settling for a narrower range of prospects.
The draft landscape also matters for how Cleveland would justify a mid-round move.. The B/R NFL Scouting Department lists five quarterbacks on its top 150 big board—Drew Allar at No.. 103, Garrett Nussmeier at No.. 107, Carson Beck at No.. 120, Taylen Green at No.. 133, and Cole Payton at No.. 137.. That range is wide enough to indicate competition for depth and upside, which makes the No.. 74 slot feel like a point where a team can find developmental value without reaching.
What makes the Beck-to-Browns projection especially compelling is the internal dynamic it creates.. If Cleveland were to add a quarterback prospect with Beck’s college track record. it would intensify the pressure on the current starters and the coaching staff’s evaluation process.. Sanders would have the most obvious “prove it” runway as the current QB1 heading into the next season cycle. but Gabriel and Watson wouldn’t be relieved by the addition—they would be challenged by it.. In practical terms. a draft pick at this stage often changes the shape of competition: the team becomes more comfortable with a learning curve. and quarterbacks already on the roster may find their “long look” shrinking.
The NFL draft continues Friday with the second and third rounds beginning at 7 p.m.. ET, and Misryoum will be watching the quarterback selections closely.. If Cleveland does act on a plan similar to this mock. the Browns’ 2026 quarterback race could stop being a general offseason debate and start looking like a defined transition—one in which the team’s next starting quarterback isn’t merely competing for reps. but for the future of the franchise.