Shedeur Sanders 2026 NFL Draft Cleveland Browns
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ESPN's Bill Barnwell proposed the Cleveland Browns trade back up into the first round to potentially take quarterback Ty Simpson.
Pundits have already begun arguing whether Shedeur Sanders will start for the Cleveland Browns next season.
Given Sanders’s ability to create headlines, and the years of drama around some his competition, Deshaun Watson, it’s not a surprising debate. But it’s premature to have it considering what the Browns could still add in the 2026 NFL Draft.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposed a scenario Monday where Cleveland acquired the No. 32 overall pick. With the final selection of the first round, Barnwell then predicted the Browns to draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
“Though Schneider would also miss out on the fifth-year option at No. 32, the Seahawks would pick up an extra third-round pick and restore that fifth-round selection by moving down seven spots here,” Barnwell wrote. “The Browns would pick up the phone, and this could be to land Ty Simpson (or the quarterback of their choice). The Jets and Cardinals pick at Nos. 33 and 34, respectively, and could draft Simpson if he’s still on the board at the start of Day 2.
“Taking Simpson at this point of the draft also wouldn’t preclude the Browns from drafting a quarterback in 2027 if they’re not in love with what they see from the former Alabama QB as a rookie.”
Pundits are split on Simpson as an NFL draft prospect. But because of a weak quarterback class, most analysts predict the Alabama signal-caller to go off the board in the first round.
During a recent radio appearance, Cleveland.com’s Mark Kay Cabot actually encouraged the Browns to consider Simpson at No. 6 overall.
Obviously, such a move would give Sanders, who pundits called a first-round 2025 prospect but the Browns drafted in the fifth round last year, additional competition behind center.