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Ty Simpson of the Alabama Crimson Tide comes from a solid football family.

The Cleveland Browns added a quarterback during the 2026 NFL draft, though not one positioned to immediately threaten second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders, or his veteran counterpart Deshaun Watson, for the starting role come Week 1.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry spoke candidly about former Alabama QB Ty Simpson following what was another exceptional draft class for Cleveland. The Browns held two first-round picks on Thursday, April 23, and Simpson was the only quarterback other than No. 1 overall selection Fernando Mendoza (Las Vegas Raiders) to come off the board in Round 1.

The Los Angeles Rams nabbed Simpson at No. 13 in a move frequently panned by analysts in the aftermath.

Meanwhile, Berry noted that his team had Simpson on its radar, though obviously not at pick No. 6, which the Browns traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 9th selection along with extra assets in Rounds 3 and 5. Cleveland used the No. 9 spot to make Spencer Fano the first offensive tackle drafted in the 2026 class.

“We didn’t anticipate that Ty [Simpson] would be available to us at [pick No.] 24, certainly there was [a point], if the board falls a certain way, that he comes into consideration,” Berry said. “By no way was that meant to be a suggestion that he would be the focal point of that pick.”

Browns Put Together Elite Opening 2 Rounds of NFL Draft

Cleveland’s actions made it clear that QB was not their priority early in Round 1, while the team never got a chance to select Simpson in the latter portions of Thursday evening.

Berry’s comments indicate that even if Simpson had been available to Cleveland, the Browns may still have gone with a wide receiver. Berry and company acquired KC Concepcion of Texas A&M in that spot, then landed WR Denzel Boston at No. 39 in Round 2.

After selecting safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren 58th overall, the Browns accomplished every goal they set out to, and then some, in the opening 60 picks.

They traded down and got value at offensive tackle, their biggest position of need, while saving $10 million in salary for Fano by selecting him three picks later than they otherwise would have. Cleveland then got not one, but two wideouts with first-round grades to turn their other biggest offensive weakness into a potential strength.

Finally, the No. 4-ranked defense in 2025 nabbed McNeil-Warren, the No. 3 safety on most big boards and a player who many afforded a late-first round/early-second round grade.

Andrew Berry Complimentary of Shedeur Sanders’ Progress This Offseason

GettyQuarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns.

Meanwhile, the selection of QB Taylen Green in Round 6 as an upside flier shows that the Browns have an eye on the position.

However, they also have confidence in Sanders and will give him rope to accurately evaluate his skill set with an NFL-level offense around him after several upgrades to the O-line and WR room.

“He’s had a really nice offseason. He did a really nice job at the voluntary minicamp,” Berry said via ESPN Cleveland Tuesday. “I think his improvements in decision making and pocket management by the end of the year, and certainly what we’ve seen so far during a very short spring, have been positive.”

Cleveland also indicated it will operate with the patience to either let Sanders develop and succeed, or to allow the roster evolve over the next year before entering the spring of 2027 with the top priority of securing a franchise QB — be that via the draft, free agency or a trade.