2026 NFL Draft overreactions: Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel's jobs at risk? Rams wrong to target Ty Simpson?

Are these top storylines from the 2026 NFL Draft legit or simple overreactions? Let's discuss

Tyler Sullivan

Apr 25, 2026

5:48 pm ET

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10 min read

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And just like that, the 2026 NFL Draft is at its conclusion. So, now what? Well, now it's time to digest all the madness that just ensued.

In any given draft, there are jaw-dropping moments, and that certainly was the case here in 2026. In the first round, the Los Angeles Rams pulled off one of the early stunners by selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Meanwhile, Howie Roseman, as he often does, made multiple trades throughout the weekend to improve the Philadelphia Eagles roster, and the Arizona Cardinals made a couple of selections that left most evaluators scratching their heads.

Of course, there are loads of opinions, and we use this space to sort through some of the main narratives. We comb through some of the notable takes from the weekend and determine whether they are overreactions or worth taking at face value.

Sheduer Sanders or Dillon Gabriel are at risk of being cut/traded

Overreaction vs. reality: Reality

Once we get to training camp, one of the biggest storylines in the NFL becomes the upcoming quarterback battle in Cleveland. However, a little wrinkle was thrown into that battle at the draft with the Browns selecting Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green atop the sixth round. While Green likely won't factor into the competition to start Week 1, he is another body in a growing quarterback room. And he is a quarterback, despite speculation that NFL teams could move him to receiver.

"He's playing quarterback," Browns GM Andrew Berry said of Green, via NFL Media. "He's playing quarterback."

So, that means the Browns now have four quarterbacks on the roster: Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and Green. It seems unlikely they carry four into the 2026 regular season, so someone will likely be shown the door, whether by release or trade.

If we assume that they keep Green as a developmental third-stringer (given that they just drafted him), it comes down to Watson, Sanders, or Gabriel. Watson is in the final year of his mammoth contract and has a dead cap hit of $131.1 million, which likely rules him out from releasd. That means it could come down to Sanders or Gabriel, and the latter could be the most at risk. After all, Sanders did take over for Gabriel in the second half of last season.

Of course, Green could be moved to the practice squad and make it easier for Cleveland to keep all three veterans. That said, something will need to give here, and it could result in the departure of one of the Browns' 2025 draft picks, making this a fascinating story to monitor later this summer.

Rams should've helped 2026 team instead of drafting Ty Simpson

Overreaction vs. reality: Overreaction

One of the biggest jaw-dropping moments of the draft occurred when the Los Angeles Rams used the No. 13 overall pick to select Alabama's Ty Simpson. As you might expect, there were plenty of opinions surrounding this pick, especially when it looked like Sean McVay was less than thrilled with the selection (which he has since explained/walked back).

Regardless of McVay's reaction, the rest of the NFL world seems pretty divided on Los Angeles' approach here. On the one hand, they give themselves an heir apparent to Matthew Stafford, who is entering his age-38 season. On the other hand, Stafford just won NFL MVP, and the Rams are firmly in the Super Bowl conversation for 2026. They could've brought in a player at another position to help push them over the top in that pursuit.

While I understand that logic, this was the correct move for the Rams. Given how talented they are, they shouldn't be this high in the draft for a while, so they may not have another opportunity to bring in a talent like Simpson. Moreover, L.A. could've looked at this pick as a luxury, especially after using their other first-rounder (No. 29 overall) to acquire corner Trent McDuffie, a move that certainly helps the 2026 squad.

Simpson is the ideal prospect to bring in and develop behind Stafford, as he only has 15 collegiate starts under his belt. Now, he has the time to hone his craft without the pressure to start right away. Whenever Stafford decides to hang it up, they now have a talented player waiting in the wings.

Carson Beck will start sooner than Fernando Mendoza

Overreaction vs. reality: Reality

Fernando Mendoza may have heard his name called first at the draft, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the new Raiders quarterback will be the first rookie signal caller to become QB1 for his franchise. That distinction could belong to Carson Beck, the third-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals.

Throughout the pre-draft process, Mendoza was the consensus No. 1 overall pick, which gave insight into how Las Vegas plans to proce