Browns land the No. 2 pick in the first round of NFL Draft 2025 after going 3-14.
BEREA, Ohio — The Browns ended up with the No. 2 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft after going 3-14 this season.
If they stay there, it will be the first time they’ve used their No. 2 pick since they drafted UCLA safety Eric Turner in 1991. They had the No. 2 pick in 2016, but traded it to the No. 8 Eagles for five picks so Philadelphia could draft quarterback Carson Wentz.
The Browns traded down again to No. 15 and drafted receiver Corey Coleman, who proved to be a bust.
The Browns ended up at No. 2 behind the Titans on Sunday after Tennessee lost to the Texans. The Patriots beat the Bills to stay out of the top two, landing No. 4 behind the No. 3 Giants.
The Browns will now have a clear shot at one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft, widely regarded as Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. They might also like someone else better, but will strongly consider drafting one.
Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter could also be available, with the Titans likely to take a quarterback.
It will mark the Browns’ first first-round pick since 2021, when they drafted cornerback Greg Newsome II No. 26 overall. For the past three seasons, they haven’t had a first-round pick because of the Deshaun Watson trade with the Texans, in which they sent a net of five picks, including three first-rounders.
The initial first-round pick in GM Andrew Berry’s tenure was left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., who will likely only be back next season if he’s willing to sign a backup contract and play as the swing tackle behind presumed starters Dawand Jones on the left side and Jack Conklin on the right.
The Browns had the No. 3 pick heading into their 35-10 loss to the Ravens Saturday evening in the season finale, and clinched at least a top-three spot with that loss.
They needed the Titans to beat the Texans and the Patriots to beat the Bills to clinch the No. 1 overall pick. Only the Patriots cooperated.
The last two times they had the No. 1 overall pick, they selected future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett in 2017 and Baker Mayfield in 2018. After a bumpy road in Cleveland, Mayfield has revived his career in Tampa Bay, and tied with Lamar Jackson for No. 2 in the NFL with 41 touchdown passes. He also helped clinched the NFC South on Sunday with a 27-19 victory over the Saints.
With uncertainty over Watson’s ability to come back strong from his ruptured Achilles surgery in October, the Browns will upgrade the quarterback room through the draft, free agency or a trade, or some combination of the three.
But they’ll look long and hard at all the top QBs in the draft, which takes place in Green Bay from April 24-26.
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