Grading Cleveland Browns' 2025 Draft: Decision to select Shedeur Sanders, passing on Travis Hunter, and more

The Browns held the second pick of the draft, and with Shedeur Sanders long out of the conversation, everyone expected the franchise to take his teammate and Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter, with that pick. Yet they fooled us all and made a massive trade.

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Notes on Cleveland Browns' 2025 Draft

2025 NFL Draft - Round 1 - Source: Getty

The Browns swapped picks with the Jacksonville Jaguars and got a haul in return for moving down just three spots. In the end, they came away with the Jaguars’ pick at the top of Round 2 in this year’s draft, their first choice in 2026, and defensive tackle Mason Graham.

The Michigan product was one of the safer players in this draft and improves the Browns' pass rush, though he does it on the inside of the defensive line.

At the top of Round 2, Cleveland selected Carson Schwesinger, the athletic off-ball linebacker from UCLA. I had reported in the weeks leading up to the draft that Schwesinger could land in the late part of Round 1; he was eventually taken with the first selection of the second round.

He offers versatility at the linebacker spot and should quickly win a starting job. In the same round, and with the selection acquired in the trade with Jacksonville, the team drafted Quinshon Judkins, who was a brilliant pick.

Judkins was expected to be the second back drafted out of Ohio State by most, though he was the first Buckeyes ball carrier on my board, and he has the violent between-the-tackles style the Browns need to make their offense tick.

Round 3 saw Cleveland select tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and quarterback Dillon Gabriel, both questionable choices. Fannin is no different than what the team presently has on the depth chart in David Njoku, while Gabriel just adds to the list of backup quarterbacks already on the roster. He was no better than a mid-Day 3 pick.

In Round 4, Cleveland selected running back Dylan Sampson, the perfect complement for Quinshon Judkins. Sampson’s speed, pass-catching skills, and ability to score from any point on the field are exactly what the team needed to round out and complete the running back depth chart.

Their fifth and final pick saw Sanders finally come off the board. Prior to Sanders being selected on Day 3, I wrote a lengthy article on the many reasons why he fell.

The irony of the Browns drafting Sanders? I reported from the Shrine Bowl that Cleveland was one of the rumored franchises his father, Deion, would not allow his son to play for when the Hall of Fame cornerback was making such threats. The bottom line is, once you get away from the hype and nonstop media coverage, this was a terrific selection with a lot of upside.

My concern is that, once camp opens for the Browns, the media focus will not be on Graham, the return of Joe Flacco, or the rehab of Deshaun Watson; rather, it will once again be coverage of Sanders, 24-7.

The Browns signed no free agents of note, though there were several edge-rushing ends I believe the team should’ve considered such as Jared Ivey and Ethan Downs.

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Grading the Cleveland Browns' draft

Colorado Black & Gold Spring Game - Source: Getty

Grade - A: Except for their third-round picks, I thought the Browns did a great job. Besides talented players who will help them this season, they came away with an additional first-round pick in 2026. They strengthened their defensive front seven and running back units while also bringing in competition at the quarterback position.

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