The Cleveland Browns are coming off an ugly showing in Week 15. Cleveland lost to the Chicago Bears 31-3. A week after putting together a good performance, Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders really struggled to get anything going. For a player in Sanders who’s trying to impress the Browns front office, not being able to put back-to-back good weeks together isn’t a great sign.
Will the Browns Draft a QB in the 2026 NFL Draft or Stick by Shedeur Sanders?
On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Tony Rizzo said, “I’m hearing the Browns are leaning towards taking a QB in the April draft.” Following that statement, he went on to assess Sanders and how he has been developed so far.
“The lack of prep or starting reps definitely showed up in the emergency start. But has he progressed? Yes. Is he accurate? Yes. Is he good downfield? Yes.”
“I’m hearing the Browns are leaning towards taking a QB in the April draft,” – Rizz on the Browns QB plans 👀👀👀
Do you think that would be the right move? https://t.co/CbuMnNFEKf pic.twitter.com/sJctiK7U2N
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) December 17, 2025
After that short assessment, his co-host said he believes the Browns should build around Sanders. There is definitely merit to this argument, as Cleveland owns two first-round picks in the 2026 draft and one first-round pick in the 2027 draft. Allowing Sanders one more season to develop would allow the Browns to add talent in other areas of the offense.
In Week 15, Cleveland was playing with an offensive line completely constructed of backups. However, even when the offensive line is healthy, it hasn’t played well this season. So using one of their first two round picks on the offensive line would be a significant boost.
Moreover, the Browns need help in their wide receiver room. Although rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr and undrafted rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond look like they can be contributors going forward, they need more weapons, no matter who the quarterback is.
READ MORE:Â 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Browns Build Around Shedeur Sanders, While 4 Ohio State Stars Go Early
That said, sticking with Sanders certainly has risks. In four starts, Sanders has completed just 52.2% of his passes (72 of 138) for 946 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions. His poor performance has earned him a 57.9 impact score, according to PFSN’s QB impact metric.
There is a legitimate argument that taking another swing at quarterback high in the draft would be worthwhile for Cleveland. However, building out the rest of the roster while continuing to evaluate Sanders may ultimately prove to be the smarter move in the long run.
