There are 107 days left until the 2025 NFL draft, with the Cleveland Browns 2024 season over following a loss to the Ravens on Saturday. The Browns are in a great position to add talent this year, with a total of 11 picks, including the second overall pick and the first pick of the second round, number 33 overall.
The biggest question will be what the team does at quarterback, especially since general manager Andrew Berry revealed that quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a setback in rehab for his torn achilles. So, let’s return to the mailbag to answer readers’ burning draft questions this week.
Unless they love the guy at 2, wouldn’t the strategy be to trade down and maximize draft capital but still get a blue chipper, regardless of position? -Tysox
That is the prevailing thought,, and I must admit that makes a ton of sense. It just depends on who wants to come up and how far back you have to go. For me, there are only five blue-chip prospects in this year’s class; I don’t want to trade out of the top 10 and miss out on a great player. But if someone like the Raiders at six wanted to move up for a quarterback you could add another premium top 50 pick and something in the future, all while getting someone like Mason Graham from Michigan I would be all on board that idea.
What rounds do you see Trayveon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins going? Do you like either for the Browns? -Irishjt
This year’s running back class is so loaded it has kind of been hard to place each of them. Personally I think that Judkins and Henderson will ultimately fall somewhere in in the round 3-5 range. I think both of them make sense for the Browns, Henderson is a guy that isn’t suited to be a workhorse but is explosive, a good pass catcher, and solid in pass protection. If the Browns want a work horse that looks to punish defenders Judkins is the way to go, just depends on what they are looking for after free agency.
If Drew Allar were to renege on his earlier decision to stay in school, where would you place him in this QB Class, and in what round would you predict him to go? -JoeyJoJoJuniorShabadoo
I would have him slightly above Sanders as the number two quarterback in the class. Drew Allar needs to go back to school. He has all the tools; he isn’t ready for the NFL yet. But because of his tools and flashes, he would go in the first round, likely pretty high if he changes his mind. Allar would need time to grow, and he needs to play football to do that, not stand on the sidelines, so I think going back is still best for him.
Who are your top 3 prospects in the class? -JerrySherk
Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter remains number one on the board; I know he is likely playing mostly on one side, but he is a special player. We haven’t seen someone play to the level he has at two positions, playing most of the snaps. He is the best wide receiver in the class and the second best corner, he’s the kind of talent you bring in and figure out where he plays later. Second is Abdul Carter, the edge rusher from Penn State, a special kind of athlete you don’t see often, who, opposite Myles Garrett, would be a lot of fun. Lastly, there is the big defensive tackle Mason Graham from Michigan. He feels like the safest pick in the entire draft, at worst he’s an elite run defender on early downs.
Where does Buckeye Ty Williams go? Not where, but when? -JerrySherk
Tyleik Williams has all the talent in the world, and in the last few weeks, he has shown that he can be dominant when he is playing up to his potential. He still needs to develop a deeper bag of pass rush moves, but he’s explosive off the line of scrimmage and is a powerful bull rusher to push the pocket vertically. He is also already an elite run blocker, he is going to go somewhere in the top 50 if I had to guess and could sneak into the back of the first round if he tests well.
Thoughts on Jaxson Dart for the Browns? -Giovanni Ruiz
I am not a fan of Jaxson Dart. I can see the tools to be an NFL quarterback he has the arm, but when I watch his tape, nothing really makes me think I should draft him. He crumbles under pressure, and if he is trailing late in a must-win situation, he can’t deliver. Dart leaves a clean pocket too often and struggles to get past his first read in a very quarterback-friendly system. If you are taking a guy on day three of the draft as a dart throw, pun intended, who you don’t plan on starting early, then I can be talked into it, but I do not see a franchise quarterback when watching his tape.
Thoughts on taking OSU Quarterback Will Howard? The kid from OSU impresses me more than Sanders or the Miami QB? -Steve Anderson
Will Howard has grown on me, especially over the past two games in the playoffs, where he has looked like an NFL quarterback. When he is playing at a high level, he plays with confidence and a swagger that guys love to gravitate to; he’s a great leader. He doesn’t have the biggest arm, but it isn’t terrible either. Howard could run a Kevin Stefanski offense, playing point guard and distributing the ball to his playmakers. He isn’t going to elevate everyone around him, but he won’t be a liability either.
If they trade down, what’s the capital? Who do they get if they trade down? -Bill Sparks
It depends on how far they trade down; if they are still in the top six or seven, they will likely get that team’s second-round pick, which will be in the 30s, and a second-round pick next year. Once they get around the 10th pick or later, you start thinking they can get a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with a day-two pick this year. One guy that could make sense if they slide down a bit is my offensive tackle one Kelvin Banks Jr. from Texas, if they believe he stays at tackle and doesn’t move to guard.
