The Opening Drive 8/14: Joint Practice in Philly and Future Quarterback Options
Eyes on now and the future, as always.
The Browns and Eagles are connected in many ways: the Berry brothers, the influence Howie Roseman had on Andrew Berry during his time working in Philadelphia, Nick Sirianni’s Northeast Ohio college tenure, several player trades, and more. The list goes well beyond that. It feels like the two organizations have a significant amount of respect for one another. The Browns have even attempted to mirror the Eagles in their salary-cap approach. All of this is to say that the Browns are constantly trying to chase the success the Eagles have had over the last decade. They have some of the necessary pieces, but talent evaluation remains the missing part.
As the two teams spent time together in Philadelphia yesterday and today for joint practices, the roster structures showed similarities, but ultimately the Eagles have been far more shrewd. Their selections of players—both in the draft and in free agency—have produced far more consistent results. This is the right model for the Browns to be chasing. The Eagles just get it, but at some point the Browns will have to evaluate and select talent the way the Eagles have defined their rosters in recent years.
Both teams will hit the practice field together again today before sharing the field together for the formal preseason game on Saturday afternoon. It will be without Shedeur Sanders, unfortunately, as the rookie has come down with an oblique injury that halts his strong momentum over the last week. Much like the Eagles, the Browns are hoping to land long-term success with a non-first round quarterback. It changes everything. Until they solve the position, battles like the ones taking place today carry less weight. You need one of “those guys” to be taken seriously. A topic I will discuss below.
Before we dive into today’s topic, click the link to subscribe if you haven’t already, and then you can enjoy all the latest from Browns Film Breakdown.
What’s Going On at Browns Film Breakdown
Latest Podcasts:
Shedeur Sanders' Injury and Browns Joint Practice in Philly with Fran Duffy
Comprehensive Defense All-22 Review and Top-Five NFL Draft QBs in 2026
Recapping Training Camp Day 12 and Comprehensive Offense All-22 Review
Latest Film Rooms:
Latest Articles:
Opening Drive 8/13: Two UDFA Names Close To Making This Roster
Opening Drive 8/12: Scheme Insights from Training Camp Day 12
Recently, while studying quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft cycle, I found myself thinking about it differently. I will eventually put out my top 10 guys based on film evaluation, and we’ll dig into who schematically fits best and who falls into the most likely range for where the Browns’ two first-round picks end up. Those are bigger discussions looming, but for now I found myself thinking about how I’ll view these guys when watching the 2026 college season. Who am I most interested in watching, and why do they matter more than the next?
I thought it would be fun to rank my top five quarterbacks by storyline ahead of the season. Think of it less as a strict ranking and more as: “This player would be fun in Cleveland.”
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
The AFC North has the superpower quarterbacks and LaNorris Sellers is the name in this class who can meet them at that level. The young man is a freak. His contact balance in the pocket, and ability to extend plays feels like a young Cam Newton and let me tell you he’s just plain fun to watch. If you get time go back and watch him will the Gamecocks to victory over Clemson late last year. He has to clean up his process inside the pocket with anticipation and feel, but the arm is live and he’s a bulldog at the position. If things click for him this year and he grows in the intangibles aspect, this is your first overall pick and it would be fun to have one of those rare types in an AFC loaded with them.
Drew Allar, Penn State
This is so much storyline and I don’t even want to apologize for it. I just want it to happen. The Mentor kid has all the NFL tools: size, arm, aesthetic, and more. He just has to show he has the moxie. If Allar’s ability to rise to the moment meets his skill level then you have something potentially special. The problem is we don’t have much evidence of it right now. Too often he’s inaccurate when it’s impactful he plays pinpoint, and the mechanics remain inconsistent. I believe in his ability to turn it on this year, and there would be no cooler story than the hometown kid returning to Cleveland to solve the long-standing torture. It would be a 1:1 storyline.
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Plain and simple the best quarterback in the class people don’t discuss. His Cal tape is so fun. He’s a functional athlete who can make plays outside the pocket when needed but his work inside the pocket with quick decision making, accuracy, and a willingness to stare down the gun barrel and deliver is entertaining as hell. He is a keen processor pre-to-post snap and he is comfortable facing pressure as that Cal offensive line forced him to learn to handle it. He has to play quicker at times, and the B1G schedule will challenge him, but all the tools are there to show a guy who can be successful at the NFL level.
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Klubnik came to Clemson the same year Allar arrived at Penn State and the two have rivaled each other since. Both took over the starting role full time in their second year and Klubnik has just improved each year. He has grown as a processor and distributor each season and his pocket skills have started to meet the athleticism to form one of college football’s toughest quarterbacks. He doesn’t have the traditional big frame quarterback but he’s big enough for the position and seems to keep growing. He received second-round assessments ahead of last year’s draft and returned for his senior year. He’s a fearless leader and has those traits that get his teammates to buy in. He will be a leadership type that the NFL will love but the skills are really strong as well.
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
If you want a gunslinger who is willing to make those “wow” throws then this is your guy. Nussmeier might not have the collection of raw tools others do in the class but his arm strength pops and he has improved as a processor across his first season starting. His decision-making has to clean up this year and frame concerns will be valid but he’s an aggressive type who carries enough tools to worthy of a late first-round selection and development type.
We will see who establishes himself at the top of this class. but for now, those are the ones who I have the most interest in consuming this year. As always, there will be a name nobody is talking about who shoots up boards and takes the reigns. We’re all looking at Arch Manning quite closely for this exact reason. It should end up being a deep class with plenty of options.
Coverage of the Browns second day in Philadelphia will hit soon enough this morning, so don’t miss it. If you’re not with us in a subscriber capacity you’ll want to rectify that. Don’t miss out. I appreciate all of you.
Browns Film Breakdown will return before you know it!
Thanks for the QB breakdown. Would be great if there were several viable options in the draft next year.