CLEVELAND — The honeymoon for Shedeur Sanders in Northeast Ohio is officially over, but Mel Kiper Jr. isn’t ready to sign the divorce papers. As the 2026 NFL Draft nears, the draft guru went on a scorched-earth defense of the Browns’ second-year signal-caller during the latest “First Draft” podcast. Kiper didn’t just disagree with the idea of Cleveland drafting Alabama’s Ty Simpson; he tried to shut the door on it entirely.
Kiper vs. Yates: The Battle for Cleveland’s Soul
The tension between Kiper and Field Yates reached a boiling point when the conversation shifted to the Browns’ draft board. Cleveland holds the No. 6 and No. 24 overall picks in next month’s draft, giving them enough ammo to hunt for a blue-chip passer. When Yates suggested the Browns need to “figure out Ty Simpson,” Kiper didn’t hold back. “The Browns don’t have to worry about Ty Simpson,” Kiper fired back. “They’ve got a better quarterback than Ty Simpson in Shedeur Sanders. Don’t go there.”
The draft expert’s loyalty to Sanders dates back to the 2025 draft, where he called it “nonsensical” that Sanders slipped to the fifth round. However, the stats from Sanders’ rookie campaign tell a different story. In seven starts, Sanders went 3-4 and posted a completion percentage of 56.6%. He threw seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions, looking every bit like a late-round project rather than a franchise savior. Despite the 1,400-yard output, the offense often looked stagnant, leaving fans shivering in the Lake Erie wind with more questions than answers.
“We aren’t handing anyone a starting job. This is a production business, and we need to see who gives us the best chance to win on Sundays. There’s a competition in that room.”
— Todd Monken, Browns Head Coach
New Regime, New Rules
New head coach Todd Monken isn’t interested in draft history or Kiper’s “disgust” over previous draft slides. Monken was hired in January to fix an offense that ranked near the bottom of the league in passing efficiency. By declaring an open QB competition, Monken sent a clear signal to Sanders: your 2025 tape isn’t enough to keep you safe. The atmosphere around Berea has shifted from “developing Shedeur” to “winning now.”
The Browns face a franchise-altering decision. If they pass on Simpson at No. 6 and Sanders fails to improve his accuracy, the front office will face a mutiny from a fan base that has seen enough failed rebuilds. Kiper is betting his reputation that Sanders will leap forward in Year 2. But if the Browns pull the trigger on a rookie, it won’t just be a challenge to Sanders—it will be a direct rebuke of the man at the ESPN draft desk.
