One does not have to go back far into the annals of history to be reminded that plans to improve the Browns at the most important position in football can fall apart quickly.
The Browns traded the second pick of the 2025 draft plus picks 104 and 200 to the Jaguars for the fifth overall pick (defensive tackle Mason Graham), the 36th pick (running back Quinshon Judkins), a fourth-round pick plus the Jaguars’ first pick in 2026.
“There are going to be a bunch of good quarterbacks in next year’s draft,” team owner Jimmy Haslam said last summer, even after the Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round.
The Browns’ 5-12 finish in 2025 earned them the sixth pick in the draft on April 23. The pick from the Jaguars is 24th after Jacksonville finished a surprising 13-4.
It turned out the 2026 quarterback class is not so great after all. Fernando Mendoza from Indiana is a lock to be taken by the Raiders with the first pick. Most mock drafts have Mendoza as the only quarterback worthy of being selected in the first round.
So now, 2027 is supposed to be the draft rich with quarterbacks. Arch Manning of Texas, Dante Moore of Oregon, LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina, Nico Iamaleava of UCLA, Julian Sayin of Ohio State and John Mateer of Oklahoma could all go in the top half of the first round next year.
The Browns could wait for next year’s draft, content to ride with Sanders, Gabriel and Deshaun Watson in 2026 to learn how each performs under head coach Todd Monken. But last year taught them that projecting a year into the future doesn’t always work out.
General Manager Andrew Berry could defy the mock draft experts and use the 24th pick this year on Ty Simpson from Alabama, or he could use the Browns’ second-round pick (39 overall) on the 6-foot-2 quarterback who played in 31 games for the Crimson Tide over four seasons if they like him enough. It is highly unlikely Simpson would still be on the board when the Browns pick 70th overall in the third round.
“No matter where I’m projected, no matter where I go, I know they’re going to get the best Ty Simpson they possibly can,” Simpson told reporters Feb. 27 at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. “I feel I’m ready. I’m a franchise quarterback.
“Alabama prepares you the most for the NFL. With the infrastructure they have from Coach (Nick) Saban, Coach (Kalen) DeBoer and all the offensive coordinators I had, I definitely ran an NFL-type system. I’ve played against really good NFL players being on scout team. There are a number of first- and second-round picks I went against and was in the locker room with.”
Simpson said he met with several teams, including the Browns, at the Combine.
Simpson in 2023 and 2024 played behind Jalen Milroe, a third-round pick by the Seahawks in 2025. Simpson finally got his chance to start in the fall of 2025 and made the most of it. He led the SEC with 473 attempts and 305 completions. He passed for 3,567 yards and threw 28 touchdown passes. He threw five interceptions.
Simpson had one year of college eligibility remaining, but in January chose to declare for the 2026 draft — perhaps looking at the bevy of quarterbacks in 2027 and concluding he would not rank second among them.
“Former five-star prospect who waited his turn at Alabama and raised his profile in a single season as the Tide’s starter,” Lance Zierlein wrote on the NFL.com scouting report on Simpson. “Simpson is mechanically sound from a footwork and release perspective, providing a favorable foundation to work from. He’s above average as a processor and decision-maker, but timing and anticipation remain works in progress. Arm talent and velocity are average, which limits his success. His repeatable process should help iron out ball placement inconsistencies the more he plays.”
Simpson played at Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee. Monken tried to recruit Simpson to Georgia when Monken was the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator from 2020-22.
“I like Ty,” Monken told reporters at the Combine. “I liked Ty when he was coming out. When I first got to Georgia, they (Alabama) hadn’t offered him, and I went up there and talked to his dad. In fact, his dad, Jason, is a Southern Miss alum, and I was the head coach at Southern Miss (2013-15). So we got to know them really well.
“Really fond of Ty. Obviously, a really good football player. Fired up for him because in today’s day and age, for him to stay as long as he did at Alabama and then get a chance to be the starting quarterback’s pretty cool.”
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson escapes from Florida State linebacker Stefon Thompson during an Aug. 30 game in Tallahassee, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack – The Associated Press)