NFL insider claims Browns QB Shedeur Sanders is better than every 2026 NFL Draft QB

Emory Hunt of CBS Sports staked his claim that the Cleveland Browns already have a better quarterback than any prospect in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft.

Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

While Joe Flacco was never a serious contender to start games after 2025, the Cleveland Browns do have two rookie quarterbacks who could get a shot to be QB1. Dillon Gabriel made his NFL debut Sunday, where he went 3-for-3 for 19 yards and a passing touchdown in mop-up duty in Baltimore.

While the Browns, who will likely pick towards the top of the draft at least once, could select one of the top QBs in the 2026 QB draft class. NFL analyst Emory Hunt thinks the answer is neither Gabriel nor a 2026 QB. 

“Shedeur (Sanders) and Cam Ward are far and above better than whoever the top quarterback would be in this class,” Emory said on the Ross Tucker Podcast. “You have people that get hung on these names, like (Garrett) Nussmeier and (Drew) Allar. Everyone is just recycling these names.”

“Shedeur and Cam Ward are far and above better than whoever the top quarterback would be in this class.”

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— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) September 17, 2025

Hunt’s opinion could be shocking to some. While Sanders and Ward were originally paired together as the top QBs in the 2025 draft class, Sanders’ stock plummeted by draft day. Ward was selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans while Sanders dropped to the fifth round. Emory is declaring that Sanders, who was taken as the sixth QB in his own draft class, is superior to every draft-eligible name in 2026.

The odds are stacked against Sanders to be the Browns’ longterm option at quarterback. If Gabriel, who will likely be tapped to replace Flacco, shines, then Sanders may not even play this season.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has repeatedly referred to his commitment to Sanders’ development, but that doesn’t mean playing time, especially if Gabriel succeeds. Sanders made an awesome preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers, but returns were less desirable in his second preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. Even if, say, Sanders starts the last four games of the season due to performance or injuries, the small sample size he will likely get will not be enough to warrant passing on a first-round QB if one prospect rises to the occasion. 

While Emory’s take won’t shape the Browns’ future, it presents an interesting question. What happens if the 2026 NFL QB draft class is as poor as it seems and the Browns don’t see starter status in Gabriel or Sanders?

The Browns will still be searching for cap space even if Deshaun Watson is a post-June 1st cut. Cleveland's roster isn’t strong enough to risk wasting more first round picks in a trade for a quarterback. If Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders don’t do enough to win the job entering next season, Cleveland may wander the QB desert forever.