The 2025 season was another rough one for the Cleveland Browns, but there were two bright spots that pulled fans through: Myles Garrett chasing and capturing the single-season sack record, and Cleveland’s group of rookies who immediately became impact players.
From first rounders to undrafted free agents, offense and defense, the Browns had a lot of first-year players leading the way this season.
The group was able to provide a sense of optimism about the future, despite winning only five games, and plenty of analysts praised Cleveland for putting together the best rookie class in the league. One analyst is arguing othwerwise. Aaron Schatz, in a recent ESPN piece, ranked all 32 rookie classes, and he had the Browns at No. 2, trailing the New Orleans Saints.
Browns ranked at No. 2 behind Saints in ESPN’s rookie class rankings
Schatz, who used a mixed formula of different metrics and ratings, made it clear that the top four teams were in a class of their own above the rest of the league. In addition to Cleveland and New Orleans, those four included the New York Giants and New England Patriots.
It was the Saints, though, who claimed the top spot. A lot of that had to do with the production of Tyler Shough and Kelvin Banks. With positional value being a factor in the rankings, it’s safe to say a quarterback and left tackle playing well heavily affected New Orleans’ score.
The Browns were right behind, though, with Schatz actually pointing out that Cleveland’s two rookie quarterbacks were lowering the score of the team’s rookie class. Still, names like Carson Schwesinger, Mason Graham, Harold Fannin Jr., Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Adin Huntington, and Isaiah Bond, did enough to make the group a top-two class.
The question now is if the group can do enough to transform the Browns into a top team. A lot of that will depend on who Cleveland hires as its next coach, and also what moves the franchise follows up with this offseason. Of course, the biggest determining factor of how great this Browns draft class could be is the two quarterbacks.
If one develops into a franchise quarterback, Cleveland would become a contender, carried by the 2025 Draft class.