2026 Team Outlook: Cleveland Browns

QB Dillon Gabriel, CLE - Not Draft Worthy

Gabriel spent six college seasons across three programs (UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon) compiling a 46-17 record over 63 starts. His best season came in 2024 with the Ducks, going 13-1 with 3,857 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a career-high 72.9% completion rate on 447 attempts. He was also a factor in the run game that year, carrying 75 times for 149 yards and seven touchdowns. Gabriel was 24 in his final year in college and collected multiple Big Ten honors in 2024, including MVP, Top Offensive Player, and Quarterback of the Year. He eclipsed 25 touchdown passes in five of his six seasons, with his most prolific all-around year coming in 2023 (4,033 combined yards and 42 touchdowns). As a passer, Gabriel operates with a deliberate, rhythmic approach, a controlled three-step drop, eyes downfield, a foot reset, then a decisive throw or extension of the play. He's notably comfortable moving left and delivering on the run, while demonstrating a strong ability to distribute the ball across a full receiver room at Oregon, where eight players caught 20 or more passes in his final year. His mobility kept drives alive and gave him added red zone value as a scoring threat on the ground. The NFL skepticism centers on his size (5'11" and 205 lbs.) and the velocity on his deeper throws, which doesn't match the top tier of pro prospects. Deflected passes at the line of scrimmage are a real risk in the NFL, and avoiding those will be critical to his chances of sustaining drives. His only significant injury on record was a broken clavicle in 2021. Based on his rookie completion rate (59.5%) and touchdown-to- interception ratio (7:2), Gabriel was better than Shedeur Sanders, but he gained a measly 5.1 yards per pass attempt with a losing record (1-

5). His best fantasy day came in Week 10 (221 combined yards with two touchdowns). Gabriel never passed for more than 221 yards in a game, and that outcome required 52 attempts. Fantasy Outlook: Gabriel should show growth in his sophomore season in the NFL, while needing to jump two other quarterbacks for a starting job. His ability to run helps his floor, but he has a lot to prove before becoming fantasy relevant.

3. TE Harold Fannin, CLE - Stud (low risk)

Fannin put together one of the more impressive tight end seasons in recent college history in his third year at Bowling Green (117 catches for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns on 156 targets), punctuated by eight dominant outings (11/137/1, 8/145/1, 12/193/2, 9/135, 10/171, 10/137/2, 9/125/1, and 17/213/1). His production is hard to ignore, even accounting for the level of competition. At 6'3" and 240 lbs. with a 4.70 40-yard dash, Fannin fits the profile of an undersized tight end with NFL-average speed at the position. His calling cards are exceptional hands and the ability to generate early acceleration out of his release, two traits that should translate well in Year TRC SPT TYD YD% YC TGT TD 2025 112 0.344 1078 0.33 9.63 171 9 2024 111 0.281 953 0.25 8.59 166 7 2023 109 0.307 1095 0.27 10.05 166 9 Cleveland Browns

the NFL. His areas that need development are his overall route running and release polish against more athletic NFL defenders. He's a legitimate threat after the catch, and his instincts near the goal line project well as he gains experience and refines his craft at the next level. Last summer, Fannin was a TE2 riser in fantasy drafts, and he rewarded his supporters with 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns on 107 targets despite splitting time with David Njoku. He finished sixth in tight end scoring (187.40) in PPR formats, with four winning games (7/81, 6/62/1, 8/114/1, and 4/34/2). Cleveland had him on the field for 73.3% of their snaps. Fantasy Outlook: With David Njoku no longer on the roster, Fannin has a backed-in uptick in targets while ranking as a TE5 in mid-May in the National Fantasy Football League. His ADP (71) screams value based on his natural progression to 85 catches for 900 yards and a run at double-digit scored even with questionable talent at the quarterback position.

18. RB Quinshon Judkins, CLE - Solid/Safe Pick

Judkins arrived in the NFL with a prototypical power back build (6'0" and 220 lbs.) and a 4.48 40-yard dash, nearly identical to Omarion Hampton's measurables. He opened his college career at Ole Miss with back-to-back high-volume seasons, totaling 289 and 293 touches, respectively. His freshman year was his statistical peak in Oxford (274 carries for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns), supplemented by 15 catches for 132 yards and a score. The running lanes tightened in year two (4.3 yards per carry and 6.8 yards per reception), but Judkins still found the end zone 17 times, underscoring his goal-line reliability. The transfer to Ohio State in 2024 brought a national championship and a shared backfield with TreVeyon Henderson. Working in a split role, Judkins still produced (1,221 combined yards, 16 touchdowns, and 22 receptions on 216 touches). He cleared 100 rushing yards in three games (9/108/2, 14/173/2, and 11/100/2) and topped 15 carries just once all season, leaving some production on the table in a crowded offense. Across his entire college career, he found the end zone twice or more in 16 games, a finishing instinct that translates well to the NFL. As a runner, Judkins plays with an aggressive, physical edge. He's willing to bounce outside and initiate contact rather than absorb it, using a punishing stiff arm to shed tacklers. He's at his best when daylight opens on the interior, but he reads cut-back lanes naturally and takes them without hesitation. His pass protection grades out well, and 59 college receptions for 442 yards and five touchdowns confirm he's a legitimate three-down option at the next level. Despite his off-field issues last summer, Judkins was on the field for Week 2. He looked the part of a rising, young stud over his first four games (72/347/2 – 4.8 yards per carry with nine catches for 62 yards. From Week 6 to Week 16, the Browns gave him over 20 touches in three matchups (25/84/3, 22/75 with two catches for 10 yards, and 109 combined yards with three catches on 26 touches), with one other

playable outcome (16/47/2). His season ended with two missed games due to an ankle issue. Fantasy Outlook: Running lanes were small for Judkins (3.6 yards per carry) in his first year in the pros. He scored seven times with some value catching the ball (26/171) while being in the field for 42.2% of the Browns’ plays, while rotating in two backs in most games. In the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football League, Judkins is the 24th back off the table, with a fifth-round ADP (56). With a full season of games, he looks poised to get 300+ touches, suggesting about 1,200 combined yards with a chance at 10 scores and 30+ catches.

25. PK Andre Szmyt, CLE - Deep-league Only

Over five seasons at Syracuse, Szmyt made 85 of his 105 field goal chances (81.0%), with his best success coming in his freshman year (30-for-34 in field goals while making all 61 of his extra points). He won the Browns’ kicking job last summer, but Szmyt fell into the unknown kicking category due to playing in a poor offense. His leg played well from 50 yards or more (5-for-6), with overall kicking success (24-for-27 in field goals). He missed one of his 26 extra points. Fantasy Outlook: Cleveland scored only 30 touchdowns last year while creating 26 field goal attempts. Szmyt brings a developing fantasy leg,

but he’ll rank well outside the top-tier kickers in drafts this summer. Possible in-season matchup value if the Browns’ offense develops a scoring pulse.

29. QB Deshaun Watson, CLE - Deep-league Only

Watson's final three seasons in Houston (2019–2021) were quietly excellent (a 25-22 record with two winning campaigns, a 68.7% completion rate, and 8.3 yards per attempt), even if the pass volume (32.9 attempts per game) sat below league average. His peak fantasy value arrived in 2020, when he led the NFL in passing yards (4,823) and accounted for 36 combined touchdowns. He was a legitimate rushing threat from 2018 to 2020, though an alarming sack total (62, 44, and 49 over those three seasons) was always the shadow over his game. The Cleveland era was a slow-motion decline. In his 2022 return from suspension, Watson never found his footing (31 or fewer pass attempts in five of six starts), sub-170 passing yards in four games, and only two multi-touchdown outings. His completion rate dropped to 58.2%, and yards per attempt fell to 6.5, both significant regressions from his Teams RATT YDS Run% ATT YDS Pass% Plays Yards Cleveland Browns 426 1727 0.434 556 3230 0.566 982 4957

Houston benchmarks. 2023 was worse. Outside of one serviceable outing (305 yards and two touchdowns), Watson struggled to generate anything through the air, averaged just 5.6 yards per attempt over his first two starts, and eventually underwent shoulder surgery in late November after missing most of four games. The 2024 season was his last starting chapter. Watson went 1-6 over seven games, failed to crack 200 passing yards in any matchup, and absorbed 33 sacks while averaging a diminished 5.3 yards per attempt. A torn Achilles in Week 7 (requiring two surgeries) ended his season and, in all likelihood, his relevance as an NFL starter. Fantasy Outlook: Cleveland has one last ride with Watson this summer. He entered training camp with no injury news and a lot to prove on the field. The quarterback play by Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel sets a low bar, but it would be challenging for a player on a five-year vacation to regain his previous high level of play. On the positive side, Watson has a winning record (37-35). Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Guardians Sanders built his college foundation at Jackson State, going 23-3 over two seasons with 6,963 passing yards, 70 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He contributed nine rushing touchdowns on 188 carries, though his net rushing yards (156) were held down by how college football accounts for sack yardage against a quarterback's rushing totals. The step up to Power Five competition at Colorado in 2023 came with growing pains (a 4-7 record and 3,230 passing yards), but 27 touchdowns against just three interceptions showed the decision- making held up under the increased scrutiny. He took a major leap in 2024, going 9-4 with a 74.0% completion rate, 4,134 passing yards, and a school-record 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. The sack totals remained a persistent issue (94 over two seasons in Boulder,

including 42 in 2024), and his net rushing production across both years went negative once sack yardage was factored in. The numbers are impressive, but context is worth examining. Sanders frequently targeted tight windows downfield and leaned heavily on his receivers to make difficult plays. Travis Hunter, Heisman winner, was the engine behind much of that production, accounting for 32.2% of Sanders' completions, 30.4% of his passing yards, and 40.5% of his touchdown throws. Replacing that dynamic at the next level won't be straightforward. As a prospect, Sanders profiles as a pocket passer with enough athleticism to extend plays and pick up first downs with his legs. The arm strength is adequate but not elite, and there's a noticeable lag in his release when he drops back, a habit that NFL pass rushers will look to exploit. He'll also need to rein in his downfield aggression, as the tighter coverage and compressed throwing windows in the pros will demand a more disciplined, take-what-the-defense-gives-you approach. Over his seven starts in his rookie season, Sanders went 3-4 with a dismal completion rate (56.6%) while gaining 6.6 yards per pass attempt. His winning game (364/3 with three rushing 29 yards and a score) came in Week 14 vs. the Titans. He passed for 209 yards or fewer in his other six matchups, with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. Over this span, Sanders made bigger-than-expected plays with his legs (15/124/0 – 8.3 YPC). Defenses sacked him 23 times over 212 pass attempts. Fantasy Outlook: In this year’s draft, the Browns tried to improve their wide receiver depth and offensive line over the first five rounds. Cleveland has talent at running back and tight end, while Jerry Jeudy still stands at WR1 heading into 2026. In the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship, Sanders ranks 36th at

quarterback, one spot higher than Deshaun Watson. He will be found in the free agent pool in 12-team formats.