We are five months away from the NFL Draft, and the Cleveland Browns have already planted themselves in the conversation for a top pick in the first round. This will be the first pick in the first round the team's had since 2021, so it'll finally be time to inject some youth into several aging positional groups on the roster.
Of course, there's many groups Cleveland has to address. The offensive line is the huge one, where the Browns have already had to swap out Jed Wills Jr. for Dawand Jones for some extra protection and with the rest of the line has been dealing with a plethora of injuries. The Browns' run game has also been nonexistent thanks to the O-line's poor effort, signaling a need for change up front in 2025.
In addition to that group, Cleveland needs to consider a wide receiver in this draft. Players like Luther Burden III and Tetairoa McMillan are gonna go off the board quickly, and beyond them, there aren't many receivers to write home about - this is assuming that Travis Hunter goes first overall.
Then, the glaringly obvious hole that should be filled but probably won't be through the draft is at quarterback. There's always an off chance that, miraculously, Deshaun Watson returns from yet another catastrophic injury and actually plays well. But, given he wasn't able to do that this season as he came in fairly healthy, it's hard to see a world where an older, more injury riddled Watson gets better.
But, is drafting a young, raw quarterback the move? It depends on who you ask, or on what websites you check for mock drafts as we careen into the final weeks of the regular season with force. Some feel the Browns are primed for a new look at signal caller once Watson inevitably flames out, and it'd be cheaper for Cleveland to simply ride it out with a rookie under center, anyway. But, some sites definitely feel that the Browns need to be filling out the whole roster and not focusing on the same position over and over again.
Here are some of the latest mock drafts across the internet for the Browns in the first round:
1. Pro Football Focus: QB Cam Ward (Miami)
2. CBS Sports: QB Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
3. Tankathon: WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)
4. FanSided: QB Cam Ward
5. Sports Illustrated: QB Cam Ward
Ward is heavily favored to land with Cleveland. After recent comments from Deion Sanders that suggest he'd prevent his son from landing with a dysfunctional team, it seems like the chances of Sanders landing with the Browns are slim - so, Ward makes the most sense at the fourth overall pick for Cleveland if they stay in that spot and are seeking a new quarterback to develop.
