The Cleveland Browns continue to publicly support starting quarterback Deshaun Watson after his 3-2 start, but it is going to take something truly special over the course of the regular season/playoffs for Watson to sign another contract in Cleveland after how disastrously his first four years with the team played out.
As such, Browns fans should continue looking ahead to the 2027 NFL draft, where the organization is likely to select its franchise QB.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report predicted on Wednesday, October 14 in his mock draft that Cleveland will land on Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons with the No. 13 pick next April. In Sobleski’s projection, the Browns select Simmons over other available options including Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss and Dante Moore of Oregon.
“Deshaun Watson has outperformed expectations and quieted chatter about Shedeur Sanders taking over as the Cleveland Browns’ QB1. Even so, Watson hasn’t been particularly good,” Sobleski wrote. “He’s simply been good enough to help Cleveland establish a winning record. Besides, the veteran quarterback isn’t signed beyond this season and the organization should finally move on from its mistake. Thus, quarterback remains the primary need in Cleveland. Same as it ever was.”
Austin Simmons Arguably Best Pure Passer in College Football
On Thursday, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN released his first big board of the season.
He ranked Simmons 10th overall across all positions, while listing the six-foot, four-inch and 220-pound prospect as the No. 5 QB available behind Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), Darian Mensah (Miami), Chambliss and CJ Carr (Notre Dame) — in that order.
“This might be a little bit of a surprise to some folks, but go watch the tape. There is no better thrower of the football in the collegiate ranks right now than this young lefty — he’s a pure passer,” Kiper wrote.
“Simmons can sling it with the best of them — the ball explodes out of his hands. But he’s also very accurate and mixes in good touch with all that velocity,” Kiper continued. “Simmons transferred from Ole Miss after a 2025 season in which he was hurt early and lost his job to Trinidad Chambliss, and his electric arm has allowed Missouri to hit big plays down the field in 2026. Simmons is 12th in the nation with 10.6 air yards per attempt.
Browns May Want QB With More Starting Experience Than Austin Simmons
Simmons has completed nearly 65 percent of his pass attempts for 1,434 yards, 14 TDs and one INT through six games played in 2026.
However, Kiper noted that a lack of overall experience could hurt Simmons’ draft stock come next spring.
“Simmons has started just eight career games. His experience is still going to be pretty light by the end of the season, and that might scare some NFL teams,” Kiper wrote. “There’s a chance Simmons returns to school for another year, but he deserves to be here on the Big Board because of his outstanding skill set and high ceiling.”
Browns Projected to Replace Deshaun Watson With 5th-Ranked QB