The Cleveland Browns are currently staring down a three-way quarterback battle that includes inconsistent second-year players Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson, who hasn't played a snap since 2024 and remains on the worst contract in the league. That once again has the Browns scouting top signal-callers like Alabama's Ty Simpson in the NFL Draft.
Browns fans may not be thrilled with the idea of picking a one-year starter with an average arm when they have both Sanders and Gabriel developing on the roster right now. Thankfully, the New York Jets might free Cleveland from the obligation to make that choice if they take Simpson with the No. 16 overall pick in the draft.
According to Jets reporter Rich Cimini, the Jets were impressed with Simpson's performance on the whiteboard in their meeting with him, which is only going to increase the odds of New York going for broke to select him. That could work to Cleveland's advantage.
If Simpson is available at No. 24 overall, the Browns need to at least consider him. If he's not on the board, they no longer need to feel obligated to ride a multi-year roller coaster in order to see if Simpson can be a franchise quarterback.
Browns may miss on Ty Simpson amid rumored Jets interest
Simpson, who threw for 28 touchdowns against just five interceptions in college, is an attractive prospect. With a solid arm, great processing skills, and the ability to produce despite a poor offensive line and invisible running game, his playmaking chops may translate well to a professional environment.
The issues stem from his lack of great size at 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds. Simpson's stats took a nosedive at the end of the season due to injuries, which does not suggest that he can withstand the punishment of a full NFL season. His performance under pressure was also suspect.
With LSU's Garrett Nussmeier being the only non-Simpson or Fernando Mendoza quarterback who has a chance of being selected in the first two rounds, Simpson coming off the board likely means that Cleveland will eschew picking someone from this quarterback class and eye 2027.
The Browns are not in a position to get overly picky about quarterbacks due to how shoddy their current room is, but there are enough concerns around Simpson to warrant Cleveland showing a heavy degree of skepticism toward him and his overall ceiling.