With the Cleveland Browns zeroing in on their veteran bridge quarterback for the 2025 season by signing Joe Flacco to a one year deal, they are now clearly focusing on the NFL draft which is just under two weeks away.
The team is expected to select one of two blue chip prospects in this year's draft at second overall, so get ready to see one of Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter in orange and brown very soon.
That said, Cleveland still needs to invest in a quarterback for their future. While they can draft one now and hope he develops into a starter down the road, there's a chance that they instead take a wild card in the draft - either he'll be a starting caliber signal caller or he'll be a backup long-term for the Browns.
It all depends on the work that head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees can do with who they take. And, there are about five quarterbacks Cleveland will likely have available to them after the first round, and assuming they don't trade back into the first.
Ranking best-available quarterbacks for Browns in second round and beyond
1. Jalen Milroe
Shedeur Sanders, being the second-best quarterback in this draft, is not going to be available to the Browns at 33. Teams like the New York Giants or New Orleans Saints, who both pick fairly high in the draft order, are more likely to take a swing on him than let him fall. If he did fall, then maybe there's a universe where the Browns consider trading up for him, knowing they have Hunter already on the team.
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That said, Milroe would be the next-best option for them. The Alabama signal caller had his best year in college under Rees as the OC there, and his combination of a killer arm and ridiculous running capabilities make him a very high-risk, potentially high-reward pick for Cleveland. If they can help him reign in his turnover issues from his last year with the Crimson Tide in addition to his propensity to take far too much pressure in the pocket, then the Browns can really profit here.
2. Jaxson Dart
Dart is a system quarterback, who thrived within Ole Miss' offense last season. On paper, he had one of the best seasons of any quarterback in college football, but watching the games back you can see why he's been rising and falling a ton on big boards leading up to the draft. He struggled against good defenses in 2024, and that should give teams pause about how he'd fare in the NFL if thrown into the fire.
Dart is a solid rusher with the ball, which helps him to escape the pocket pretty well, but he also tends to accept pressure and rushes a bit too easily, another concern for teams headed into the draft. His arm also isn't as impressive as Milroe's, but he was a lot more accurate than him in 2024.
3. Tyler Shough
Yes, Shough is an older prospect. At 26 years old as we approach the draft, the Louisville quarterback only just played his first full season as a starter because of several injuries - although, those injuries were simply broken bones and nothing more concerning like ACL tears or other muscle/tissue injuries.
Shough finished up his 2024 campaign with the Cardinals with 23 touchdowns, six interceptions, and 3,195 passing yards with a 62.7 completion rate. He's super tough in the pocket and is apparently a true work horse, so he wouldn't be a terrible add for a team that might be trying to just add QB depth and not necessarily a starter from this QB class.