"What are they trying to cook up?": NFL fans speculate as Texans make major draft trade with Browns

Just hours before the 2025 NFL draft kicked off in Green Bay, the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns decided to stir the pot with a trade that left fans scratching their heads. Houston shipped two fifth-round picks, including No. 166 this year and another in 2027, in exchange for three late-round picks from Cleveland: Nos. 179, 216 and the Mr. Irrelevant slot at 255.

The move was announced just three hours ahead of the first selection, and while it doesn’t shake the top of the board, where the Titans, Browns and Giants hold the first three picks, it did spark plenty of online chatter.

One fan wrote:

"What are they trying to cook up?"

Another said, "(Texans general manager) Nick (Caserio) fleeces the Browns yet again!"

One more fan said, "Browns just can't quit the Texans."

"2 mid NFL teams completing the middest NFL trade ever," commented one more.

"Browns browning," another said.

"Nick just getting warmed up. Standby," another wrote.

This isn’t exactly blockbuster material, but it’s enough to get fans wondering what Houston's Nick Caserio might be cooking up behind the scenes. Whether this is the setup for a bigger move remains to be seen.

Cleveland Browns draft picks list

The Browns are armed and ready with 10 picks in the 2025 NFL draft, headlined by the No. 2 selection. They suffered a brutal 3-14 season, and Kevin Stefanski and the front office are hoping this draft can be the reset button fans have been begging for.

They have the first-round pick, and Cleveland could swing big. Speculation has linked the Browns to Travis Hunter, Colorado’s two-way star, or Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. Some insiders even think a quarterback might be in play.

Here’s the full Browns draft pick breakdown: No. 2, 33, 67, 94 (via Bills), 104, 179, 192 (from Dolphins via Bears), 200 (from Vikings), 216 (compensatory), and 255 (compensatory).

It could be a loaded third day for Cleveland, with four sixth-rounders and a final seventh-round pick to close things out. Now, it’s on GM Andrew Berry to turn those picks into playmakers and get the Dawg Pound barking again.