Browns earn brutal QB ranking from ESPN that should cement 2027 draft plans

Browns earn brutal QB ranking from ESPN that should cement 2027 draft plans originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Cleveland Browns, heading into the 2026 NFL season, are hosting a quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.

With their second preseason game right around the corner, where Sanders will get the chance to start, the trend lines are pointing towards Watson being QB1. But regardless of the decision from Todd Monken this season, this isn’t a very exciting QB room.

ESPN’s Mike Clay, in ranking every team’s QB room, placed the Browns at 31st out of 32 teams, only better than the Arizona Cardinals. This ranking should cement one thing for the Browns: They need to draft a rookie QB in next year’s NFL Draft.

Browns’ 31st-ranked QB room should cement draft plans

Clay ranks Cleveland’s QB room at 31 out of 32 teams, with the Cardinals being labeled the “shakiest” quarterback room in the league at 32 overall.

One spot ahead of the Browns is the Atlanta Falcons, who are hosting their own QB competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.

While he didn’t specify why the Falcons are ahead of the Browns, the upside of the two former first-rounders is enough to justify this ranking.

But when it comes to the Browns, this 31st ranking proves they need to explore a new quarterback addition over the offseason, ideally in the NFL Draft.

They own the Los Angeles Rams‘ first-round pick alongside their own, so the Browns should have the ammo needed to land their quarterback of the future in a stacked class.

MORE: Browns’ Shedeur Sanders explains bad turnover against Bears

Watson doesn’t have a future in Cleveland after the disaster that was his trade and fully guaranteed contract extension, and Sanders hasn’t shown enough to rely on him as the franchise guy.

The Browns might keep Sanders as the bridge QB for the team next year if their first-round QB isn’t completely ready. But, more likely than not, neither Sanders nor Watson will be in the fold for Cleveland next season.

This 31st ranking should prove as such, as no team can win the Super Bowl, let alone make the playoffs or win enough games, with a QB room ranked this poorly.

Not that there was any doubt, but this QB ranking from Clay should make it abundantly clear that the Browns must use the 2027 NFL Draft to address their quarterback room.

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