After a 3-year absence from picking the in the 1st round, thanks to the Deshaun Watson fiasco, the Cleveland Browns made their return in a big way.
They made their first trade before the draft even started. Then decided to keep it going, making multiple trades during the draft.
They started with the #2 pick, but decided to trade it to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the #5 pick, in addition to the Jaguars 1st round pick in next year’s draft.
With that pick, they took Mason Graham, DT, Michigan. He was my one of my top two players. Graham is a hardhat, blue collar type of player. He plays through the snap; he sheds blockers and can rush the passer from the interior. Something the Browns have been sorely missing for over a decade now. Lining him up next to Myles Garrett, will cause problems for opposing offensive lines.
With the 33rd pick, the first in the 2nd round, the Browns took Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA. Carson is a do everything player. His 115 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions, proved his ability to play sideline to sideline. He can drop back into zone coverage and cover tight ends and running backs. He hits the hole hard on the blitz, and does a nice job against the run.
I reported months ago, that the neck injury to Browns starting linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, was much more serious than the team let on. There’s a chance the he never plays again, so taking Schwesinger here was a good pick.
Three picks later, with the 36th pick, the Browns selected Quinshon Judkins, HB, Ohio State. Judkins is a hard-nosed, between the tackles, power back. He doesn’t have the speed to take it 90 yards on any play; he has the speed to pick up the chunk plays needed to keep the offense on the field. He showed that he has the capability to catch the ball out of the backfield and showed improvement when picking up blitzers. He’s a faster Kareem Hunt for Browns fan.
With the 67th pick, the Browns selected Harold Fannin Jr, TE, Bowling Green. I love this pick! Fannin is a catching machine. He play on the line of scrimmage, in the slot, and the Falcons even played him out wide at the X sometimes. While he does need to improve his blocking technique, his playmaking ability is undeniable, and he played his best football during Bowling Green’s biggest game. The vaulted defenses at Penn State and Texas A&M had no answers for him at all. Fannin along with Browns Pro-Bowl TE David Njoku, gives the Browns a hellava combination for 12 personnel formations.
With the 94th pick, the Browns selected Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon. Gabriel had 63 career starts in college, with 3 different teams (UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon). He makes quick decisions, and his 155-32 touchdown-to-interception ratio shows that he doesn’t put the ball in danger that often. Yes, he’s short at 5’10”, but his ability to scramble and move within the pocket, keeps hit “batted balls” stat low.
With the 126th pick, the Browns took another running in Dylan Sampson, HB, Tennessee. Sampson is a short, fast, and sneakily powerful running back. He has a nose for the endzone scoring 22 rushing touchdowns last season. He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year last season with 1,485 yards rushing as well. He can take it to the house at any time, from anywhere on the field. He needs to improve his blitz pickup and blocking ability. He only had 19 catches last season. To be fair, he wasn’t asked to that a lot at Tennessee though.
With their final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, selected Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado. See my previous article.
FINAL GRADE.
When you add everything together, the Cleveland Browns get an A+.
They came away with 6 players who will start on Day 1 or be meaningful contributors to the team.
Along with securing a 2nd first round draft pick in the 2026 class, it’s impossible to deny that the Cleveland Browns got better not just for this upcoming season, but for the next 3 to 4 seasons to come.
– by Sean McKenzie
Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NFL, NCAA, Cleveland Browns.
Photos courtesy of…..wallpapercave, brownsnation, brownswire, USA Today, Cleveland Browns, duckswire,
allsportsfan 