A leading NFL Draft analyst isn’t buying into the idea that the Cleveland Browns need to chase another quarterback this offseason.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. made his position on the Browns’ quarterback situation crystal clear during a recent appearance on the Up and Adams Show, saying he believes strongly in Sanders and isn’t losing sleep over any quarterback in the coming draft class when it comes to Cleveland.
“I wouldn’t worry about any young quarterbacks in this draft. I understand the Monken and Simpson link because he had a prior relationship with his dad. I get all that,” Kiper said. “I know Monken likes Shedeur Sanders and made some really positive comments about Shedeur.”
The Browns have dubbed it an open competition for the starting role. But as Kiper noted, Monken has been open in his admiration for Sanders.
“I think you see playmaking ability. I think you see a player who is confident in his skillset,” Monken said of Sanders. “When you see that, playmaking ability and inner confidence, you say, OK there is something to work with there. That’s the thing that excites you. I said this morning, 15 or 20 years ago, they would have said that Shedeur Sanders is athletic. They would have said he could escape. But the game has changed so much that now they say he is not a mobile quarterback.”
Kiper: Watson Is the Wild Card for Browns
Mel Kiper Jr. acknowledged that Deshaun Watson remains the biggest wild card in Cleveland’s quarterback equation entering next season.
“Deshaun Watson is the wild card. Can he create that greatness you saw in Houston? He carried that team,” Kiper said. “If he can’t, you’ve got Shedeur. And I believe in Shedeur strongly.”
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, sat out all of last season continuing his recovery from a twice-torn Achilles. He is entering the final year of his contract with Cleveland and is expected to compete for the starting job.
Watson’s tenure with the Browns has been defined more by inconsistency and absence than impact. Since arriving in 2022, Watson has appeared in limited action, posting a 9-10 record as a starter while throwing for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Kiper Has Been Consistent on Sanders
Kiper’s backing of Sanders is nothing new. When his ESPN colleague Field Yates raised the possibility of Cleveland drafting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson on the First Draft podcast in late March, Kiper shut it down immediately.
“The Browns don’t have to worry about Ty Simpson,” Kiper said. “They got a better quarterback than Ty Simpson in Shedeur Sanders. Don’t go there.”
Sanders started seven games for Cleveland during his rookie campaign, completing 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions after being selected in the fifth round at No. 144 overall.
The Browns own picks No. 6 and No. 24 in the first round of the draft, set to begin April 23 in Pittsburgh. It’s not expected that Cleveland will target a quarterback with either of those picks, with much larger holes elsewhere on the offensive sie of the ball.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Gets Strong Endorsement Despite Ty Simpson Talk