The Cleveland Browns still have a long way to go before they name their starting quarterback for the 2026 NFL season, but they are not asking Shedeur Sanders to figure it out alone.
After a difficult rookie year and shaky marks in PFSN’s 2025 QB Impact Metrics, Sanders needed more than patience. He needed protection, easier throws, better spacing, and a front office willing to build the offense around his development.
Former NFL linebacker-turned-analyst Emmanuel Acho believes Cleveland did exactly that, crediting general manager Andrew Berry and the Browns for using the draft to make life easier on their young quarterback.
How the Browns Built Around Shedeur Sanders in the Draft
Acho’s take on Cleveland’s draft centered on the idea that the Browns understood what Sanders needed most.
“The Browns are doing everything possible to help Shedeur Sanders. Everything possible will help any quarterback in that situation. … Offensive linemen or what the Cleveland Browns need, wide receivers or what the Cleveland Browns need. In the first three rounds, you get two offensive linemen, you get two wide receivers. A+ for Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns.”
That’s the kind of draft strategy fans can understand. If a young quarterback is struggling, the answer can never be just telling him to play better. The organization has to make the job more manageable by giving him pieces he can work with, especially in a division where the weekly pressure rarely lets up.
“The Browns are doing everything possible to help Shedeur Sanders. A+ for Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns”
– @EmmanuelAcho hype about the Cleveland Browns’ future and commends their results in the previous two drafts
WE ARE LIVE RIGHT NOW ➡️ https://t.co/LIlfxtbTss pic.twitter.com/jC63LrxKwC
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) April 27, 2026
Cleveland addressed that in two ways. The Browns added receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, giving Sanders more options in the passing game and more flexibility for Todd Monken’s offense. Boston brings size and a possession-style profile, while Concepcion gives Cleveland a different kind of weapon who can create separation and work underneath.
Acho also highlighted offensive lineman Spencer Fano, whose physicality stood out to him. Fano, Acho said, has “clubs for hands. When he gets his hands on you, you’re dead.”
For Sanders, better protection is not just about avoiding sacks (he took 23 through eight games). It’s about feeling stable enough to work through reads, take timing throws, and avoid speeding up every snap. That’s usually where development either takes hold or starts to unravel.
Cleveland Gives Sanders Real Help Before Quarterback Battle
It’s likely there are still several months until Cleveland names its starting quarterback. Head coach Todd Monken and his staff will want to see Sanders compete with veteran Deshaun Watson for the starting role throughout the summer, and that battle should tell the Browns a lot about where Sanders really stands.
The numbers reflect why nothing should be handed to him. In PFSN QBi, Sanders sits at a concerning No. 46 overall in the league. With an Impact Score of just 56.9 and an F grade, the analytics suggest that he is still a long way from seamlessly carrying an NFL offense.
This is why this draft, in particular, matters so much. The Browns aren’t pretending Sanders is a finished product. They’re giving him a better environment and letting the competition sort out the rest.
“Football Debate Club” graded the Browns’ draft a B+, and PFSN NFL draft analyst Ian Cummings argued Cleveland had the best draft in the AFC North.
“Spencer Fano, reinforcing the line with that first-round pick, elite athlete. They boost the receiving corps with Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. Boston is more of a Michael Pittman-type. KC Concepcion, I comped him to Keenan McCardell. I think they complement each other perfectly,” Cummings said.
Cleveland didn’t just add names. It added different body types, different skill sets, and more ways for Monken to help his quarterback.
Cummings also pointed to the depth of the class, noting Emmanuel McNeil-Warren as a long-term safety piece, Parker Brailsford as a “potential starter at center” and a “really good [Todd] Monken fit,” plus Austin Barber, Joe Royer, and Carsen Ryan as later additions with upside.
The Browns have given him more protection, more weapons, and a chance to prove he can grow into the job. Now the pressure shifts back to him.
