With mere days until the 2025 NFL Draft commences, the landscape continues to shift. We know the Tennessee Titans will select Miami quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1. From there, it's a complete mystery. We have inklings of ideas, perhaps even credible theories, about where other teams stand, but this is a chaotic draft class and very little is set in stone.
ESPN's Peter Schrager threw out more smoke on Tuesday, reporting that both the Cleveland Browns at No. 2 and the New York Giants at No. 3 are fielding trade calls to move back in the draft. While neither team appears likely to move back, all it takes in the right confluence of circumstances for a desperate general manager like Andrew Berry or Joe Schoen to pull the trigger.
Cleveland in particular feels like a strong candidate to shake things up and move back. The reason why is simple: the Browns could use more impactful talent on rookie contracts. If that means swapping one great pick for several good picks, well, it's a viable strategy.
Deshaun Watson is on the books for $35.9 million this season with a cap hit of $80.7 million next season. Myles Garrett just inked a four-year, $160 million contract of the record-setting variety, all because Cleveland needed to pay him off the ledge to void his trade request.
That means stockpiling as much affordable talent as possible is a priority, as Cleveland is in no position to ignore the margins.
Browns' supermassive Deshaun Watson, Myles Garrett contracts could lead to NFL Draft trade
Cleveland has several appealing options at No. 2, with Colorado's two-way star Travis Hunter emerging in pole position. There's a strong case for Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter, too. Few teams need game-changing talent more than the Browns. Garrett is a beast on defense, but on balance, the Cleveland roster ranks among the worst in football.
Hunter would give the Browns much-needed playmaking at wide receiver and an elite defensive back to bank on. Carter would eviscerate opposing O-lines next to Garrett for the next half-decade, giving Cleveland one of the more intimidating pass rushes in the NFL. Both are no-doubt quality picks.
That said, what if Cleveland can move back a few slots and add a few extra high-to-mid round picks to sweeten the pot? Maybe the Browns don't get a franchise star in that instance, but the Browns could end up with several impactful players instead. That is, arguably, even better.
Several prospects are bound to appeal to Cleveland outside the top-3. There has been buzz of Shedeur Sanders falling as far as Pittsburgh at No. 21. What if the Browns move back, rack up extra picks, and keep Sanders from a division rival? We know Cleveland still needs a long-term answer at quarterback.
Other wideouts, such as Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan, could appeal to Cleveland as better pure pass-catchers than Hunter, whose primary value figures to stem from his work in the defensive backfield. If the Browns want edge help, Georgia's Jalon Walker slots behind Carter on draft boards, but comes from best NFL talent pipeline in college football. We know how much the reigning Super Bowl champs in Philadelphia have benefitted from drafting Kirby Smart prodigies.
The NFL Draft is always a crapshoot, this year even more so than normal. Cleveland can justify sitting tight at No. 2, but if ESPN's latest reporting bears fruit, it should come as no surprise given Cleveland's complex financial situation and its widespread roster needs.