In the actual 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns used the fifth overall pick on Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. While Graham is a blue-chip talent, this re-draft suggests the Browns might have chosen a different path.
CBS Sports' Blake Brockermeyer has the Browns selecting Louisville QB Tyler Shough with the fifth overall pick in his 2025 re-draft. In this hypothetical timeline, Shough, who was actually drafted in the second round (40th overall) by the Saints, showed enough poise and flashed traits during his rookie season in New Orleans to warrant top-five pick.
Brockermeyer's selection shouldn't be a surprise to Browns fans, as despite some flashes from Shedeur Sanders, the Browns' quarterback situation remains the primary position holding the roster back. Taking Shough here could have drastically changed the outcome of the Browns’ 2025 season.
What makes Shough such an attractive "what if" for the Browns isn't just potential, but what he put on tape for the Saints in 2025. Despite being a second-round pick and playing with a roster in transition, Shough finished his rookie campaign with a 67.6 percent completion rate, throwing for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. More importantly, he showed a level of poise and veteran-like processing that is rare for a first-year starter. It’s that efficiency and ball security that scouts may have overlooked.
While hindsight is 20-20, the thought of having very solid rookie quarterback play, paired with an elite defense, is all Browns fans have wanted during the Myles Garrett era.
2025 NFL re-draft says Browns picked the wrong player at No. 5
Since the Browns went with Shough at quarterback in Brockermeyer's re-draft, their original pick and the Defensive Rookie of the Year found new homes later in the first round.
Mason Graham
The Browns' actual original pick slides a bit further than expected, eventually landing with Green Bay at No. 23. While the former Michigan Wolverine remained a force on the defensive interior, the rise of a couple quarterbacks, along with some offensive linemen, pushed the elite interior defender down the board, making him a massive value get for the Packers.
Carson Schwesinger
After an excellent rookie season, which was capped off by winning the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, Schwesinger skyrockets into the top 15. In this re-draft, the former linebacker from the UCLA Bruins goes 12th overall to the Dallas Cowboys. Brockermeyer notes that Dallas could select any defensive position, and compared Schweisinger to Hall of Fame Linebacker Luke Kuechly.
While both players were successful in their rookie seasons, it is clear that neither position can make the impact on a team quite like a quarterback can. Drafting Shough at No. 5 overall could have significantly altered the Browns' trajectory.
The first-round snubs?
The most surprising aspect for Browns fans is the absence of two high-profile rookie playmakers from the first round.
Harold Fannin Jr.
Despite the Bowling Green product having a beastly rookie campaign and proving he’s a legitimate NFL weapon, Brockermeyer keeps him out of the top 32. It’s a classic case of positional value; in a re-draft that has two more quarterbacks and a few defensive players rising up the board, Fannin Jr. just misses out.
Quinshon Judkins
The Ohio State star also misses the cut here. While he’s a game-changer, the re-draft emphasizes that teams are prioritizing the trenches over the backfield when they have the benefit of hindsight.
Former Buckeye teammate TreVeyon Henderson was the lone first-round running back selected in the re-draft.
Browns’ biggest 2025 draft what-if just got louder
Ultimately, this re-draft by CBS Sports highlights the one thing every Browns fan knows: the roster is full of talent, but the ceiling is capped until the quarterback position is solidified.
While passing on a talent like Mason Graham or Carson Schwesinger in hindsight feels like a tough pill to swallow, the idea of a poised, productive Tyler Shough leading this offense is exactly the kind of "what if" that keeps Cleveland fans up at night.
If the 2025 season proved anything, it’s that talent in the trenches is vital. But in today’s NFL, you're only as good as the guy taking the snaps.