Browns Have Ammunition to Target QB in 2027 NFL Draft Thanks to Myles Garrett Trade

There was a blockbuster trade in the NFL on Monday afternoon as the Cleveland Browns sent reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. Going back to Cleveland is young pass rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round selection, and a 2029 third rounder. The trade helps set the rebuilding Browns up to land a premier quarterback prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft.

The Browns finished 5-12 last season and possessed the sixth overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. With no quarterback solution on the board, general manager Andrew Berry traded down for a second consecutive draft. The Browns are now firmly looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft.

The 30-year-old Garrett registered 23 sacks in 2025, setting a single-season sack record. The Browns still managed just five victories despite his Herculean efforts. The Browns' willingness to trade Garrett now after signing him to a historic $160 million extension last offseason signals their admission that he no longer fits their timeline.

Browns Eye QB in 2027 NFL Draft by Admitting Defeat on Myles Garrett Timeline

Garrett projects as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he alone couldn't drag the Browns to yearly relevance. Throughout his illustrious nine-year career in Cleveland, the Browns managed a record of 58-90-1, including a historic 0-16 feat in his rookie season. They qualified for the postseason just twice and won one playoff game.

The Browns appear to possess a strong young roster. Last year, Berry traded down from No. 2 overall with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who coveted Travis Hunter. Berry, with all of his assets, then managed to draft difference-makers like Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., and Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger.

April's draft brought the Browns a left tackle in Spencer Fano, two wide receivers in Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, and a tone-setting safety in Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. The early indication is that the Browns compiled a strong draft class for the second offseason in a row. If they could solve the quarterback position (a major what if), they'd possibly be set-up for instant contention.

Cleveland Browns 2026 Outlook After Trading Myles Garrett

Though the Browns didn't win consistently with Garrett, their outlook certainly doesn't improve without him. Our way-too-early 2027 NFL Draft order had them positioned at No. 4 overall, according to Super Bowl odds. That was pre-Garrett trade.

Our power rankings had the Browns at 29th, fourth-worst in the league. The earliest forecasts have the Browns joining the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Miami Dolphins as four painfully obvious teams that are rebuilding and possibly targeting quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Browns just increased their chances of out-losing the competition.

The Browns are holding an offseason position battle at quarterback between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Early indications are Watson may receive a last-ditch opportunity to salvage the disastrous decision to acquire him in the first place. Folks around the league wonder if sophomore Dillon Gabriel is an offseason trade target, as he's swiftly fallen to No. 3 on the depth chart.

Cleveland Browns' Way-Too-Early Quarterback Options in the 2027 NFL Draft

Our first 2027 NFL mock draft had the Browns landing Oregon quarterback Dante Moore with the fourth selection. The Ducks signal-caller likely would have been the second overall pick in this past draft had he declared. After trading Garrett and fully committing to the rebuild, Moore is undeniably among the prospects the Browns will scout closely this Fall.

Arch Manning, CJ Carr, Drew Mestemaker, Trinidad Chambliss, Darian Mensah, Julian Sayin, and LaNorris Sellers also help highlight a strong crop of 2027 quarterback prospects. The Garrett trade was surely completed with that in mind. Commit to a young crop of talent while positioning yourself to finally solve the ever-elusive quarterback conundrum.

The Browns now possess two first-round selections in 2027. The fellow QB-needy Jets currently one-up them with three top-32 picks. The Rams' 2027 first-round selection going to Cleveland is expected to fall in the 25-32 range, thus may not be considered valuable enough to execute a trade-up for their desired target. The Browns may have to out-tank the Cardinals, Jets, and Dolphins for the No. 1 overall selection.

The Garrett trade gets the Browns closer to the ultimate goal.

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