As the Cleveland Browns continue to lose in 2024, the 2025 NFL Draft is getting closer and closer. Although an awful season has most certainly not been welcomed by the fanbase, the consolation prize of a potential top five pick will help a little due to the pain endured.
With Deshaun Watson clearly not being the answer at quarterback, there will be plenty of talk about the Browns picking a quarterback in the first round in 2025. Although Cam Ward peaks my interest more than several other top quarterback prospects at this point, I can’t help but think about trading down.
Watson’s poor play, bad position group coaching hires and injuries have all plagued this season. At the same time, the Browns still have a promising team on paper if the roster can stay healthy and a few tweaks are made.
One tweak needs to be at the running back position. Nick Chubb is not the answer for the future.
Cleveland fans should be grateful for everything Chubb has done for this team and city. The nature of this business is that every person has a shelf life. For Chubb, that time should be winding down.
From 2018-2023, Chubb has always averaged over five yards per carry with the Browns. His vision, patience, burst and power have blended so nicely behind a pretty strong offensive line. Since returning from a nasty knee injury and long rehabilitation following multiple surgeries, Chubb has not looked the same.
In four games, Chubb has 53 carries for 163 yards and one touchdown. That is a mere 3.1 yards per carry. It is great to see him back, yet he looks slower, lacks the same explosiveness and has not been a threat.
With 1,291 carries in his NFL career and the age of 30 getting closer and closer, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Browns need to think about the future and can do better. Chubb is a free agent in 2025, so letting him test the waters to find another team feels like the best thing for both parties.
If this happens, perhaps trading down in the first round to select a running back could be in the cards.
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is lighting college football on fire right now. The 5’9″, 215-pound running back will likely be in New York at the Heisman Trophy presentation with a strong chance of walking away with the coveted award.
In ten games this season, Jeanty has tallied an absurd 256 carries for 1,893 yards and 26 touchdowns. His average yards per carry is an excellent 7.4 and his quietest game on the ground still led to 127 rushing yards. In short, if Jeanty touches the football something big will happen.
With Jack Conklin once again looking strong at right tackle and Dawand Jones flashing some promise at left tackle prior to his injury, Cleveland could hold off on addressing the offensive line until later in the draft. The question more so comes down to the approach at quarterback if the team trades down.
Two players to watch in the second round might be Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel or Penn State’s Drew Allar. These two quarterbacks have very different body builds and styles, yet they both have promise. Pairing either of them with Jeanty might be more dangerous than just pulling the trigger on a quarterback so early.
One thing is for sure, there is significant time before any decision will need to be made. The options need to be open for the Cleveland Browns though, rather than being narrow minded to only thinking quarterback on night one of the draft.
