The Browns brought veteran quarterback Jameis Winston to Cleveland this year, hoping his experience and big arm could provide valuable insurance should starting quarterback Deshaun Watson be unavailable in 2024.
Cleveland’s offseason move has paid off through four games after Watson was lost for the season due to his Achilles injury.
Winston has led the Browns to a 2-2 mark in 2024, winning two games against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers during that stretch.
The former No. 1 overall 2015 NFL Draft selection has thrown for over 1,180 yards in those four outings, completing 63.5 percent of his passes.
Despite his performance, Bleacher Report analyst Brad Gagnon believes the Browns may be purchasing fool’s gold in buying Winston’s success as a viable solution beyond this year.
“If Jameis Winston continues to jolt them into wins, it could be a lose-lose situation. They could miss out on considerable draft capital while also getting fooled into believing the 30-year-old is the long-term answer under center. A difficult closing schedule should help prevent that,” Gagnon wrote in his recent article.
Indeed, the Browns have fallen down the 2025 NFL Draft board with his victories this season.
Mock drafts had Cleveland as high as the No. 3 overall pick at one time, but wins have pushed the Browns outside of the top five positions through Week 12’s results.
Cleveland could continue to fall down the draft board with more success on the football field, pushing the Browns beyond a draft position where a franchise-defining quarterback would fall to the team.
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