At some point, the Cleveland Browns will have to get their quarterback situation on track. Right? The Deshaun Watson experiment has—to no one's surprise—aged like milk. And if you’re still unsure about whether that trade was really that bad, look no further than owner Jimmy Haslam, who’s already publicly admitted how much of a disaster it was.
Watson wasn’t even good when healthy, let alone reliable enough to stay on the field. He’s expected to miss most—if not all—of 2025 due to a re-rupture of the Achilles that ended his season last year. At least they had Jameis Winston as an electric backup. But he’s now a New York Giant. So, with no other options, Cleveland swung a trade with the Eagles for… Kenny Pickett.
To say things are bleak in Cleveland would be generous. But hey, at least they extended Myles Garrett on a massive deal for no real reason other than to pretend they’re still in win-now mode.
With no answers in sight, the Browns could turn to the draft and the No. 2 overall pick for quarterback help. But if Sayre Bedinger’s latest mock draft for NFL Spin Zone is any indication, don’t expect that help to come from a rookie.
Recent mock draft all but suggests the Browns are all-in on Kirk Cousins
After mocking Cam Ward to the Titans at No. 1, Bedinger has the Browns going with Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter at No. 2. It’s not exactly shocking. Carter might end up being the best player in the entire draft when the dust settles. He doesn’t fill a glaring need—especially with Myles Garrett locked in—but credit to Bedinger for not forcing a quarterback just because Cleveland’s room is currently a walking punchline.
The real eye-opener comes at pick No. 33. Instead of grabbing a developmental QB, Bedinger has the Browns taking Missouri wideout Luther Burden III, a dynamic after-the-catch weapon who’s been compared to a souped-up Curtis Samuel. Burden is a slot-heavy, scheme-versatile threat who can break tackles, win contested catches, and basically turn screens into 40-yard gains. He’s a win-now piece—just like Carter.
And that’s kind of the whole point here.
No quarterback in round one. No quarterback in round two. Just two highly productive, NFL-ready weapons to plug into a team still trying (pretending) to contend. Which brings us right back to Kirk Cousins. If the Browns are skipping over the rookie QB class entirely, it means they’ve either accepted Kenny Pickett as their starter… or they’re still quietly pushing for a Cousins deal.
Either way, this mock all but confirms it: the Browns are not trying to rebuild. This screams retool. And retool quickly for a veteran quarterback. They’re not trying to develop someone for 2026. Of course, the Atlanta Falcons would have to be willing to trade him—something they seem less inclined to do by the day. But who knows? The Browns want to win now—and that means a guy like Capt Kirk is still very much in play.
Even if he just came to Cleveland for a burrito.