The Cleveland Browns have shifted focus back to free agency after completing what many consider an exceptional draft.
Their 2025 NFL Draft performance garnered significant attention, securing six consensus top-100 players with only seven selections.
This kind of draft efficiency creates tangible ripples throughout the roster, solidifying some players’ positions while putting others on notice.
New York Times draft expert Austin Mock recently highlighted their performance with particular enthusiasm, giving them an A+ grade.
“The Browns made the biggest trade of the draft and came away from it huge winners, according to our formula. How big? The value added in that trade, which included securing an extra second-round pick and Jacksonville’s 2026 first-rounder, is equal to the 10th pick. Now, reaching for quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round while drafting Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round knocked down their value in terms of the actual players drafted. But the deal with Jacksonville, paired with drafting Mason Graham with the No. 5 pick, has Cleveland firmly in the top spot,” Mock wrote.
While fans typically want to see a coherent strategy during draft weekend, the Browns’ direction raised some eyebrows despite the value they extracted.
Their decisions represent calculated gambles that could define this front office’s legacy.
Perhaps most notable was passing on Travis Hunter, potentially leaving a generational talent on the board.
The extra 2026 first-round pick might ultimately justify this choice, but only time will tell.
The quarterback room now presents its own fascinating dynamic.
Already housing Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett, Cleveland surprisingly added two more signal-callers in Gabriel and Sanders.
This five-deep quarterback competition could either spark tremendous development through healthy competition or create a complicated logjam at the sport’s most important position.
NEXT: Bruce Drennan Gives Browns Harsh Draft Grade
