The Cleveland Browns have been linked to Ty Simpson with their No. 6 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
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The Cleveland Browns have been linked to Ty Simpson with their No. 6 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Momentum is building around the Cleveland Browns potentially using the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson — a possibility draft analyst Todd McShay is cautioning against.
Appearing on the “Up and Adams” show with Kay Adams, McShay made it clear he’s a Ty Simpson believer. But he’s also clear that Cleveland is not the right landing spot for the Crimson Tide passer.
“I’m a big Ty Simpson fan, despite the 6-foot-1, the injuries and the 15 starts,” McShay said. “But I’m already starting to hear he can go as high as Cleveland sitting there at No. 6. I hope for Ty Simpson he doesn’t become a Cleveland Brown. They don’t have the protection or the weapons.”
The Browns are rebuilding their offensive line and do need more receiving weapons — two things any young quarterback needs to thrive. When it comes to Simpson going early in the first round, McShay isn’t disputing Simpson’s talent. He’s questioning whether Cleveland is an environment he can thrive in, considering their rough history with quarterbacks. Instead, McShay would want to see him end up with the Los Angeles Rams, who have two first-round picks.
“I’d love to see him with the Rams,” McShay said. “They pick at No. 13 with the first of their two picks.”
McShay: Ty Simpson is Legitimate First-Round Talent
With presumed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza dominating the quarterback conversation, Simpson has flown relatively under the radar. McShay thinks that’s by design for some teams.
“There are some teams out there trying to be really quiet about it,” McShay said. “Because everyone is talking about Mendoza, and then the rest of the quarterbacks suck. It’s just not the deal. Ty Simpson is going somewhere in the first, and it wouldn’t shock me if it’s in the top 15. … It all fell apart at the end of the year, but I think he’s different.”
McShay may not be sold on Cleveland as the right fit for Simpson, but the quarterback struck a different tone, expressing intrigue about the Browns and the chance to play for a familiar coach in Todd Monken.
“I think I’d be in great hands with the team that they have and the organization, and then coach Monken, what he does with the quarterbacks and the offense is super quarterback-friendly and I think he’s going to coach me hard if I’m able to go there and I know he’s going to do it the right way,” Simpson said at the combine. “So I’m super-excited.”
Browns Have Open Competition for Starting QB
The Browns have yet to give any internal quarterback candidate an edge in the competition. The group includes Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson.
“I don’t know why it wouldn’t be an open competition,” Monken said at the scouting combine. “I don’t mean that saying it harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple years one way or the other to say, boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet. Whether internally or externally.”
Sanders, who started the final seven games last season, was perceived as the frontrunner for the job early. However, Watson has started to gain some steam as a legitimate option as well. He recently shared footage from his offseason workouts as he looks to get back on track after missing all of last season following two Achillies surgeries.