How Todd Monken Could Steer the Browns Towards His Own Quarterback in 2026 NFL Draft

One of Todd Monken’s first orders of business as the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns is, without question, solving the team’s longstanding quarterback mess.

And a 2026 NFL Draft quarterback prospect projected as a midround selection could eventually help him do exactly that.

Carson Beck, the former quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes and Georgia Bulldogs expected to be selected in the third or fourth-round range -- after a standout college career that began with three seasons under Monken’s tutelage in Athens -- would likely be on the Browns’ radar now.

As things stand, Cleveland owns 10 selections for the upcoming draft, including two first-rounders and three fifth-rounders, besides one selection in every other round. Investing one or more of those selections to pursue Beck in the middle of the draft wouldn’t feel like a taxing proposition, considering this same team decided Dillon Gabriel was worth a third-rounder last year.

However, Beck would be arriving in Berea with one huge advantage that Gabriel never had: familiarity with the head coach.

Beck committed to Georgia before Monken’s predecessor at offensive coordinator James Coley left for Texas A&M. But Beck, who had already committed and decommitted from Alabama before signing on with the Bulldogs, decided to stay upon Monken’s arrival and compete for the starting job with Stetson Bennett, J.T. Daniels, Jamie Newman and D’Wan Mathis.

Beck redshirted in 2020 when he appeared in one game with no pass attempts, before earning more back minutes behind Bennett during the back-to-back National Championship seasons of 2021 and 2022 and claiming the Bulldogs starting role in 2023, with Monken having moved on to the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. Georgia’s only loss of the season came against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, knocking them out of the CFP.

At this time, some projected Beck as a potential first-overall pick for the 2024 NFL Draft, but his performance declined even though he led the Bulldogs to another SEC Championship Game appearance, where a serious elbow injury knocked him out of the contest.

After originally declaring himself for the 2025 NFL Draft, Beck then took a step back and transferred to Miami, where he guided the Hurricanes all the way to a CFP Championship Game, throwing a costly interception that sealed the title for Indiana in the waning moments.

Meanwhile, Monken’s NFL career enjoyed a second wind, overseeing Lamar Jackson’s second MVP season in 2023, and another stellar season in 2024 that was arguably even more deserving of an MVP award.

The Ravens did regress as a team on offense in 2025, leading to John Harbaugh’s shocking dismissal, and clearing the path for Monken to return to Cleveland, this time in a head coach capacity.

If anyone in the NFL knows Beck in and out, it’s Monken, the coach that helped him grow as a collegiate passer at the college level.

What does the Browns’ current depth chart look like at the quarterback position?

At the present time, Pro Bowl alternate Shedeur Sanders, veteran Deshaun Watson and Gabriel are the three passers on Monken’s roster. And according to a report by SI’s Albert Breer, the team seems open to giving Sanders a shot at proving himself as a viable long-term option, even if it’s not mandated.

“One of the six questions on the test [handed to Browns’ head coaching candidates], I’m told, was “How would you develop Shedeur Sanders?” ... the candidates didn’t take that as a definitive sign that the new Browns coach would have to start Sanders, nor did those guys get that impression in the interviews.

“Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson were all part of the conversation. But candidates did get the idea that being able to get starter-level play out of Sanders was seen as a plus.”

And remember, Monken's former team, Baltimore, was also interested in drafting Sanders last year.

That would likely point to Watson and his titanic $46 million salary as a second option and Gabriel relegated to third. If the team should add Beck or another passer through the draft, trade or free agency, Gabriel would automatically become a practice squad candidate, opening the door for a competition between Sanders and the new guy for a starting role, and keeping Watson as a very expensive fallback option.

Either way, the quarterback room is Monken greatest challenge ahead, and a little help from a guy he knows well would be very welcome.