I'm not sure if you've noticed any time during the last 40 years, but the Browns need a quarterback. Mortgaging the farm for Deshaun Watson didn't, uh, workout the way everyone thought it would, and with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam now publicly admitting that is was a mistake, it seems like everyone's on board with starting over there.
RELATED: Browns NFL Draft 2025: Louisville QB Tyler Shough Scouting Report
And they are, in theory, in a good position to move on quickly. Holding the 2nd overall pick in this year's draft gives them the luxury of taking Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders – Cam Ward's definitely going to Tennessee – should they want to. That hasn't always felt like the case, though, and Cleveland's been linked way more frequently to both Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter.
So unless Sanders has an all-time huge draft day fall, the Browns are probably looking elsewhere. According to ESPN's latest mock draft, though, they don't have to wait too long. Technically speaking, the Browns wait until the 2nd round to get their next guy – one pick into the 2nd round, to be specific. I'm not a big math guy, but I'm pretty sure advanced analytics will tell you that it's way savvier to take a QB at 33 than 32.
ESPN thinks that the Browns will find their next starting QB in the 2nd round this year
Browns pick: Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville
"Deshaun Watson is out with a re-torn Achilles, and Kenny Pickett is the only other quarterback on the Browns' roster. Shough has the arm strength to drive the ball in Cleveland weather, and he looks the part at 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds. Some evaluators will be concerned by his age (turning 26 this year), but the flip side of that is his experience -- he has thrown 951 passes over 43 career games. He could compete with Pickett for starts."
Hopefully Shough will have the arm strength to drive the ball in that new climate-controlled stadium the Browns will eventually build, too. But, honestly? Sure. Whatever. I'm on board with Shough. No one has ever embodied the 'beggars can't be choosers' expression more than the Cleveland Browns, so if ESPN thinks some Louisville QB with a big arm can be better than Watson and Kenny Pickett, I'll believe them. I don't know if it'll be any better, but I'm fairly confident in saying that it can't be any worse. Browns football!