B-
Cleveland Browns
The Browns drew a line under the quarterback search with Ward: B-.
by wyattmohr ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 5 steals
· 4 reaches
The Browns spent real capital to be 107 picks early on Phillip Webb, and the board is going to hold them to it. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
Cam Ward is the bet, and the class will be judged on how it pays off. The Cornelius value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
They punted on safety, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but safety.
Pick-by-Pick
Cam Ward in pick 2 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Tyler Booker. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They paid sticker price for Quinshon Judkins in Round 3, Pick 3, and that is fine. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Smael Mondon Jr. in No. 94 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A top-tier interior defensive lineman at a bargain, Jordan Phillips in the 128th overall pick, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
You do not let a wide receiver like Tory Horton reach the Round 4 slot and blink. They did not. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Emery Jones Jr. at the 165th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The roster fit checks out.
They did well to land Cobee Bryant in pick 181, just ahead of his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Moliki Matavao. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Zeek Biggers at No. 202 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board fumbled Ajani Cornelius all the way to the Round 6 slot, and they scooped it up. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Phillip Webb at the 217th pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Somehow Sam Brown was still sitting there in pick No. 257, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.