The Cleveland Browns have the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s struggles and injuries are a big reason why they’re near the top of the draft board. Watson tore his Achilles in early January, putting his availability for the 2025 campaign in doubt.
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Cleveland already needed another signal-caller, but Watson’s latest development has increased their QB desperation. Despite this, scouts are apparently confident the Browns won’t address that need with their first-round pick. They reportedly see Cleveland drafting Colorado Buffaloes two-way superstar Travis Hunter instead.
Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson discussed the Browns possibly landing Hunter on Nightcap. Johnson said he liked the idea of Hunter joining forces with Denzel Ward behind defensive end Myles Garrett. He believed Hunter “could change the franchise right around” like Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud have done for their respective teams. Sharpe disagreed.
“I don’t care if you’ve got Denzel Ward. I don’t care if you’ve got ‘Prime Time’… Mel Blount… [or Darrelle] Revis. If you cannot score, you cannot win in this league.”
Five of the top seven scoring offenses in the league this season made the divisional round. Conversely, only four of the top nine scoring defenses reached the divisional round. They say defenses win championships, but as Sharpe mentioned, you need a talented offense to get there.
Meanwhile, the Browns are one season removed from a playoff appearance. In 2023, head coach Kevin Stefanski won at least one game with four different starting quarterbacks. He started four unique signal-callers again this year, but did not have the same positive fortunes.
Johnson knows it’s impossible to sustain success with a revolving cast of characters at quarterback. However, he also subscribes to the belief that this draft class isn’t littered with high-end QB prospects. If Cam Ward goes No. 1 overall and Shedeur Sanders says he won’t play for them, the Browns will have to go another route at No. 2. That’s where Hunter comes into play for Johnson.
“You’ve got to start somewhere. You’ve got to build the foundation somewhere. And it [has] been how long since they’ve had a quarterback… [you] talk about putting butts in seats.”
Cleveland possesses the No. 33 and No. 67 overall picks. Those selections could allow them to draft and develop a second-tier prospect, such as Quinn Ewers, Will Howard or Jaxson Dart. Pairing Hunter with one of those quarterbacks could quickly flip the Browns’ fortunes. The more likely route, though, is Cleveland landing a franchise signal-caller in the 2026 NFL Draft.
