One of the only good things to come out of the disastrous 2024 season for the Cleveland Browns is the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Of course, the Browns get a top pick in a draft class that looks much thinner than the year prior, but that is besides the point.
With Deshaun Watson likely missing all of 2025 after re-injuring his Achilles, and the fact nobody in Cleveland really wants to see him be the starting quarterback anymore, it might be time for the Browns to rip the bandage off and draft the quarterback of the future in April.
Sure, there are free-agent quarterbacks who could theoretically repeat what Joe Flacco did for the team in 2023 but that only kicks the can down the road. Cleveland needs to find the next franchise quarterback regardless of how much money Watson is making.
The Browns have a real chance to do that with the No. 2 overall pick and GM Andrew Berry may have subtly (and unintentionally) revealed which direction the team will go in April. When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Berry said he was "confident" Deion Sanders wouldn't have an issue with Shedeur Sanders playing on the Browns.
As innocuous as this sounds, this could be very revealing if we read between the lines.
Andrew Berry's may foreshadow the Browns drafting Shadeur Sanders
To be fair, Berry did not go out of his way to make these comments as he was specifically asked about Sanders. Deion has been very vocal that there are several teams he "won't allow" his son to play for in the NFL. The Browns do not appear to be one of those teams.
If Deion is making it his mission to keep his son off of perceived "bad fits", and the Browns have not received that communication from Sanders' camp, then it only increases the odds of the Browns drafting him. This is especially true when you consider who picks ahead of the Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Tennessee Titans own the No. 1 overall pick and they are in a worse position long-term than the Browns are. They do not have the same coaching infrastructure set up, are undergoing yet another front-office change, and do not have nearly as much talent as the Browns do on the field.
The Titans check all the boxes of being a team Sanders may not want his son to play for. If that is the case, it could force Tennessee's hand to select another quarterback, such as Miami's Cam Ward. That would leave the Browns with a big decision to make: use the No. 2 overall pick on someone who could be the team's next franchise quarterback, or use it on the best prospect available.
If the Browns are leaning on the former, which very well could be the case, then Berry's comments point directly at the team taking Shedeur Sanders second overall. Only time will tell.