The Cleveland Browns were one of the most intriguing teams heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, given how many needs they had on both sides of the ball and how many picks they had at their disposal.
They made the most shocking trade of the weekend by moving No. 2 for No. 5 and a handful of other assets, opting to go with defensive tackle Mason Graham instead of Travis Hunter, and followed that up by selecting a pair of big-program running backs in Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson as well as a pair of high-profile quarterbacks in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
It was quite the haul for a team that desperately needed one, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. unsurprisingly gave the Browns a strong grade for their draft.
“The other main reason I gave the Browns an A+ shouldn’t be a surprise. They got quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 144 to finish their seven-pick draft. He was my No. 5 overall prospect in the class and clear QB1. He brings excellent accuracy, completing 74% of his throws last season. He brings toughness in the pocket. I think he will be an outstanding pro QB, and I believe we will look back on this pick in a few years and question what the rest of the NFL was doing,” Kiper said.
Kiper spent the majority of ESPN’s draft coverage chastising the entire NFL for not knowing how to evaluate quarterbacks and angrily pounding the table for someone to draft Shedeur Sanders for days, so it was a given that whichever team drafted him after he fell out of the first round would get an A+ grade.
Overall, there is plenty to love with Cleveland’s draft, as they took a high-upside, low-risk approach to the QB position while leaving the door open to take a QB next year now that the Browns have an extra 2026 first-round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars due to the trade.
Judkins and Sampson will immediately revamp a running back room that sorely needed an overhaul after Nick Chubb became a free agent this offseason, while Graham and 33rd overall pick Carson Schwesinger should make immediate impacts on defense.
Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland’s third-round pick, set FBS records for a tight end with 117 catches for 1,555 yards last year and should team with David Njoku to form a prolific receiving duo at the position.
Fans should be excited about this draft as the front office was able to recoup some of the assets it lost in the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade.
The future looks much brighter than it did just a few days ago.
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Browns Sign Intriguing RB Prospect
