Cleveland Browns Double Down at QB in Eye-Opening Mock Draft

   

Dec 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA;  Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) warms up before the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

NFL Draft Week is finally here, and that means one final seven-round Cleveland Browns mock draft to go along with it.

After general manager Andrew Berry gushed about Travis Hunter during his pre-draft availability last week, it seems written in the stars at the point that he'll be the pick at No. 2 overall.

What the Browns do from there, with three more picks in the top 100 and 10 picks overall, is going to be fascinating to watch. With massive holes to fill at quarterback, running back, offensive tackle and tight end, offense could be heavily targeted in the first couple of rounds.

I addressed all those things and a handful of others in my final mock draft of 2025.

Nothing new here. Hunter is the consensus pick for Cleveland at No. 2 overall. It would be surprising to just about everyone if the Browns stay here and select anyone other than Hunter at this point.

Another pick that ended up exactly the same as my mock draft 3.0. In reality, this may be where a QB run begins. In this instance, I took my chances on waiting for a QB and addressed one of the most important holes this team has, at left tackle.

Last time around I opted for Tyler Shough here because Milroe was already gone. This time, the latter slipped into the third, and I pulled the trigger.

Milroe has a lot of work to do as a passer, but there may not be a prospect with a higher potential ceiling due to his elite athleticism. The third round is a perfect place to take a chance on that, so why not?

This is a deep edge class and the Browns can always use depth there, especially in Jim Schwartz defense. Oladejo is generally showing up in the top 15 or so of the edge rusher rankings, and by this point in the third round, the value is there.

Cleveland has so many offensive needs that this pick could easily be used to address another one of those. Berry is going to find ways to mix in some defensive additions, though, and this felt like a place where he may just do that.

Running back is arguably the Browns' second-biggest need after quarterback. Drafting one comes down to when Berry and company feel the value is there, and with a deep class at their disposal, they may just wait until day three.

That's what happens here with Martinez, who is a physical downhill runner with the ability to break tackles at the second and third level. He could mix well into a backfield with Jerome Ford to spell him on obvious passing downs as a better pass-catcher.

After moving on from Juan Thornhill earlier this offseason the Browns have a hole to fill at safety. This feels like a position they won't go overboard investing in, so throwing some late-round attention at it makes sense.

Mickens has already shown some refined coverage skills from his time at Clemson and an elite football IQ. Those are qualities that should set him up to succeed at the next level if given the opportunity.

Another pick that bolsters the defensive line depth. Robinson has some refining to do from a technique standpoint but he comes to the NFL with great size and is already equipped with several moves to evade would be blockers.

Considering how often Kevin Stefanski uses multiple tight end sets, tight end is a pretty important need right now. In this instance, they wait to address it on day three.

Conyers has some solid ball skills, and the athleticism is there. He has work to do as a blocker, but with some nurturing from David Njoku, who has become one of the better blocking tight ends in football, he may just stick in the pros.

The Browns already prioritized the quarterback position with the Milroe pick, but taking more bites at the apple is never a bad idea. Rourke has all the QB traits teams look for, which will make him appealing late in the draft like this.

He may not pan out to be anything at the next level, but the Browns always carry four QBs throughout the offseason, and there's no harm in seeing if a sixth-round pick can compete for a roster spot.

Here, the Browns trade up 20 spots from 255 to 235 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to add another safety prospect. Cleveland gives up one of their two seventh-rounders next year to make it happen.

Reed is a fringe top 10 safety prospect who is still available here. In that vein, I traded up 20 spots from 255 to 235 to ensure Cleveland could address its need at safety with two prospects.