It’s another common rough time for the Cleveland Browns going into the 2025 NFL Draft. They hold the second overall pick right behind the Tennessee Titans. Both teams need a quarterback, and the Titans have the choice to pick who they want and the Browns will have to watch.
Back in the days where Baker Mayfield was on the team, that was the most stability the Browns had at quarterback in a long time. Then Cleveland decided to make the utmost massive mistake in NFL history by not only trading a bunch of draft picks for quarterback Deshaun Watson, but they also gave him five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract.
It has been nothing but a failure for the Browns and Watson. As a starter in Cleveland, Watson has a 9-10 record in three years and he’s played in more than seven games a season. The Browns messed up big time and they are paying the price for it. To make things worse, Watson still has two atleast two years on his contract that Cleveland can’t get out of.
Now, this year’s NFL Draft isn’t the strongest quarterback class but the Browns have an opportunity to fix a big mistake by drafting one of the top quarterbacks in either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders.
The fact that Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslem even admitted that the Watson trade was a “huge swing and miss” and that the accountability should be at the top, according to Browns ESPN writer Daniel Oyefusi. For the owner to admit that the Watson trade was a huge mistake, that should easily point out why the Browns need to leave this draft with a quarterback at the second overall pick.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on the team’s trade for Deshaun Watson: “We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun. We thought we had the quarterback, we didn't and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we've got to dig ourselves out of that hole. … (the trade) was an entire…
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) March 31, 2025
Browns must use No. 2 overall pick on a QB for one major reason
It’s actually quite simple. The Browns are in a prime position to draft one of the top quarterbacks in this draft, but with the way things are going, it seems like they would have the chance to draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the idea of Cam Ward getting drafted by the Titans is becoming more of a reality each day.
Yes, I know that the Browns could easily take a versatile player like Travis Hunter or even a ferocious edge rusher like Abdul Carter to pair with Myles Garrett. However, the Browns must take a quarterback at No. 2 due to the fact that they will have a quarterback on a rookie deal for the next four years while their salary cap is hurting with the Watson deal.
The Browns are going to hurt financially as long as Watson is on the books. So, why not atleast lock down the quarterback position for the immediate future on a cheap rookie contract? It will help with potential roster-building, and the Watson contract is eventually going to come to an end. It’s better to have a success plan now rather than hope that you can solve this issue down the road.
Last season in Colorado, Shedeur Sanders was a huge playmaker with throwing over 4,000 yards and tossing 37 touchdowns into the endzone. Not to mention, he completed 74% of his passes which is just unbelievable. Putting him in Cleveland and being coached by a two-time Coach of the Year in Kevin Stefanski would help Sanders hit the ground running. Then it's just a matter of connecting with his teammates.
Getting a quarterback on a rookie deal is the best possible solution for the Browns going forward. Watson tore his achilles last season and he tore it again in the offseason, which will now keep him out for the majority if not all of 2025.
Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski have to be on the same page when it comes to the No. 2 pick and it should be to bring Sanders to Cleveland to bring some energy to the city. Browns fans have had to live through misery with the Watson trade and deal. Let’s give them something to be excited about for not just this upcoming season, but hopefully the future as well.