{"id":42205,"date":"2026-01-23T11:46:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T11:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=42205"},"modified":"2026-01-23T11:46:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T11:46:06","slug":"browns-tipped-to-draft-two-weapons-to-save-shedeur-sanders-as-230m-qb-complicates-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=42205","title":{"rendered":"Browns tipped to draft two weapons to save Shedeur Sanders as $230m QB complicates plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"Browns<\/picture><\/div>\n

After a tumultuous 2025 rookie campaign, the jury is still out on Shedeur Sanders as the long-term solution under center for the Cleveland Browns.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the problem might not be the quarterback, but the lack of infrastructure around him.<\/p>\n

\"CINCINNATI,<\/p>\n

Despite a few promising flashes from Sanders, the unit finished near the bottom of every meaningful statistical category, plagued by a crumbling offensive line and a receiving corps that struggled to create separation.<\/p>\n

In his latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft, Kiper provided a blueprint for the Cleveland front office, projecting the Browns to use their two first-round picks to give Sanders the protection and playmaking he lacked last season.<\/p>\n

With the sixth overall pick, Kiper projects the Browns to select Utah tackle Spencer Fano. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 302 pounds, Fano is exactly what the doctor ordered for a Cleveland front that may be looking at four to five new starters in 2026.<\/p>\n

Fano\u2019s resume is staggering. Over 37 career games at Utah, he allowed just four sacks and notably, hasn’t surrendered one since Week 1 of the 2024 season.<\/p>\n

His versatility is his greatest asset; he played both tackle spots for the Utes, showcasing the footwork and mauler mentality needed to protect Sanders’ blindside or secure the right edge alongside Dawand Jones.<\/p>\n

For a Browns team that ranked middle-of-the-pack in pass protection, Fano represents a safe but high-ceiling foundational piece.<\/p>\n

If Sanders is going to take the next step into the elite tier of NFL passers, he needs the three-plus seconds of pocket integrity that Fano provides.<\/p>\n

While the Fano pick is about stability, the Browns’ second first-round selection (acquired via Jacksonville) is about pure, unadulterated electricity.<\/p>\n

Kiper has Cleveland taking Georgia<\/span> wideout Zachariah Branch at No. 24.<\/p>\n

The Browns’ wide receiver room was historically stagnant in 2025, totaling a league-low 1,467 receiving yards. To put that in perspective, individual stars like Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba outgained the entire Cleveland WR corps by themselves.<\/p>\n

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\"PASADENA,<\/p>\n

\"ATHENS,<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Enter Branch. At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, he may not be a physical specimen in the mold of DK Metcalf, but his speed is game-breaking.<\/p>\n

“No one can catch him when he gets into space,” Kiper noted in his analysis. “He has the ability to turn a quick pass into a big gain.”<\/p>\n

Branch\u2019s 81-catch, 811-yard season at Georgia only tells half the story.<\/p>\n

His value as a vertical threat and a return specialist gives Cleveland a multi-dimensional weapon they haven’t possessed in years. In an AFC North that requires explosive plays to keep pace with the high-powered offenses of Baltimore and Cincinnati, Branch is the secret weapon that could unlock the Cleveland passing game.<\/p>\n

By pairing a lockdown protector with a lightning-fast vertical threat, Cleveland looks to transform a bottom-tier offense into a modern powerhouse.<\/p>\n

Whether that quarterback is Sanders, Deshaun Watson or someone else remains the million-dollar question, but regardless who is under center come Week 1, the offense needs a massive facelift.<\/p>\n

\n
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\"Sanders<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

By drafting Fano and Branch, the Browns are effectively removing the excuses for whoever takes the snaps. If it\u2019s Sanders, he finally has the wall and the weapon to prove he\u2019s a franchise cornerstone.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s Watson, the team has provided a last-gasp infrastructure to salvage the most expensive contract in NFL history.<\/p>\n

Either way, Kiper\u2019s blueprint suggests the Browns are done waiting for a hero to fall into their lap; instead, they are meticulously engineering an environment where one can finally succeed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a tumultuous 2025 rookie campaign, the jury is still out on Shedeur Sanders as the long-term solution under center for the Cleveland Browns. 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