The Cleveland Browns have two passable starting quarterbacks on the roster in Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, but Flacco is a short-term solution and Pickett remains a question mark heading into his fourth NFL season.
Cleveland could rectify the situation by using the No. 2 pick in next week’s draft to secure a rookie quarterback. The Tennessee Titans figure to select Miami’s Cam Ward No. 1 overall, but Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and every other signal caller in the class should be available to the Browns.
But that isn’t the way the wind is blowing in Cleveland.
Draft analysts and team insiders overwhelmingly predict that the Browns will select Travis Hunter, the cornerback/wide receiver out of Colorado, following his pro day workout in Boulder earlier this month. Hunter comes in as either the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect in this class, regardless of position, on almost every big board one can find.
However, for the first time in several years, Cleveland has a stockpile of draft picks — 10 selections across all seven rounds, to be exact, including five of those inside the top 104 (Nos. 2, 33, 67, 94, 104). The Browns will need a youthful and relatively inexpensive answer at QB if Flacco retires in a year or two, if Pickett doesn’t work out, or if either or both of them suffer injuries.
As such, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report predicted on Tuesday, April 15, that Cleveland will select Hunter with the second pick before trading back into the first round with the Minnesota Vikings at No. 24, where the Browns will select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart before the Los Angeles Rams can lock him up with the 26th overall pick.
In exchange, Cleveland will send Minnesota pick Nos. 33 and 67 and a conditional pick in 2026.
Browns Brass Needs QB Production in 2025 to Secure Jobs
GettyCleveland Browns quarterbacks Deshaun Watson (left) and Joe Flacco (right).
Browns general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski probably need a significant turnaround in 2025 to secure their positions with the franchise moving forward.
The team won just three games last season, and while Cleveland brass may not require a playoff berth to remain employed, the Browns will be looking to flip the trending arrow a full 180 degrees. There is no guarantee that either Flacco or Pickett will play well enough to ensure that outcome, and Deshaun Watson continues to rehabilitate from his twice-torn Achilles tendon.
All of that points to Cleveland drafting a quarterback relatively early, and waiting until No. 33 to do so could remove Dart — as well as other potential options like Tyler Shough of Louisville — from the board.
“While the Browns may not be enamored with their choice of quarterbacks with this year’s second overall pick, they can’t in any way, shape or form be content with their quarterback room,” Sobleski wrote. “A decisive move is necessary to build something of a future with a quarterback prospect who presents legitimate long-term upside.”
Browns Could Miss Out on Jaxson Dart if They Wait Until First Pick of 2nd Round
GettyOle Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Dart’s success last season at Ole Miss and an impressive run through the spring have elevated him into the position of No. 3 quarterback on several big boards around the country.
The 21 year old threw for nearly 4,300 yards, 29 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions last year, his fourth campaign at the collegiate level and third season at Mississippi.
The New York Giants are potentially a threat to make a play for Dart if they decide not to draft Sanders with the No. 3 pick, while the New Orleans Saints (No. 9 overall) are also in the game for a signal caller this year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a viable starter as of yet, and the New York Jets could also look for a QB early in the second round (No. 42) or by trading back into the first round, even despite signing Justin Fields to a two-year contract this offseason.
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