Due to the Deshaun Watson trade, perhaps the worst deal in the history of sports, the Cleveland Browns came into the 2025 draft with their first first-round pick since 2021.
And it should come as no surprise that the Browns completely blew that opportunity. Yes, they got picks in return for the trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars that sent Travis Hunter to Jacksonville — the fifth-overall pick in this draft, as well as the 36th and 126th picks in 2025, and Jacksonville's first-round pick in 2026.
And with that fifth overall pick, the Browns did get a very good player in the person of Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. But this was absolute larceny on the Jaguars' part. Believe it or not, the Jaguars actually received picks in return for their draft haul — the 104th and 200th picks this year.
Is Graham a fine addition? No question. He has the talent to be a real tone-setter in a Browns defense under Jim Schwartz that doesn't blitz a lot, so it's all about the players.
But in refusing to do the most important thing for their team, Jimmy Haslam's franchise spit the bit in embarrassing fashion.
The Browns have needs at both receiver and cornerback, and Hunter is the best in this class at both positions. You put him anywhere on the field, and he makes your team exponentially better right away. There hasn't been a legitimate two-way player in the NFL with Pro Bowl-level talent at multiple positions since Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik did his thing at center and linebacker from 1949-1962.
There hasn't been a dual talent on offense and defense in the NFL from a skill position perspective like Hunter since Sammy Baugh of the Washington Redskins became one of the first modern prototype quarterbacks, and also bagged 31 interceptions in his career, leading the league with 11 picks in 1943.
That's how far back you have to go if you want a rough equivalent to what Travis Hunter could potentially do in the pros.
We don't yet know what the Browns' rationale is for passing on Hunter (and Penn State edge-monster Abdul Carter, who went to the New York Giants with the third overall pick). But it doesn't really matter. They had the chance to add a truly generational player, heal the wounds suffered by a long-suffering fanbase, and throw things in the right direction in a definitive fashion.
Instead, they denied themselves a player the likes of which we may never see again.
You can parse that any way you want, but the math says that this is one of the worst decisions in the history of an organization far too familiar with them.
