The Cleveland Browns are in a position to make a splash in the 2025 NFL draft.
Armed with the second overall selection and a wealth of total picks, the Browns have the flexibility to be aggressive for high-end talent. We saw the Houston Texans do something similar two years ago, when they were also coming off their own Deshaun Watson era, when they selected Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, and then immediately moved up to take Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson with the next pick.
Cleveland has a few pressing needs, but appears to be honing in on Colorado’s dynamic playmaker, Travis Hunter, with their first pick. Should they take the Texans' approach and trade up from their second-round pick, they can quickly overhaul the roster with an infusion of young talent. With the draft right around the corner, here are three intriguing trade-up scenarios for the Browns.
Reunited: Browns Trade Up for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders
Browns receive: 1.20 (select Shedeur Sanders), 4.20Broncos receive: 2.1, 3.30, 4.2, 6.16
Shedeur Sanders may start to slip in the draft after being considered for a top-three selection for most of the process. Should he fall just far enough, the Browns could make a wild swing to reunite Sanders and Hunter, getting ahead of their rival Pittsburgh at the 21st pick.
This one-two punch would give the Browns their potential franchise quarterback and an all-star positional player. Even better, it cost very little to do, considering the extra third wasn’t even their own. Even then, they’ll still have eight picks to work with from this class to develop over time. Rinsing your hands of the Watson era alone would make a move like this worth it, as you can begin to build up your roster around a young quarterback.
Sanders would compete with Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco immediately, but those two would be good benchmarks to see his development and bring plenty of experience to help him grow. Hunter would be an instant impact player immediately, and is capable of taking over the top weapon role from Jerry Jeudy sooner rather than later. With those two threats, the Cleveland offense would have plenty of speed and playmaking to open up space for others while threatening every corner of the field.
Better yet, the Browns could go into 2026 without worries of needing a quarterback and could continue to build around him.
Browns Leapfrog Offensive Line Needy Teams
Browns receive: 1.24, select best offensive tackle available (Josh Simmons, Kelvin Banks, or Josh Conerly) Vikings receive: 2.1, 3.30, 6.16
The Vikings, with only four total picks in this draft, are on the opposite end of the asset spectrum from Cleveland, making ...
