Earlier in April, NFL Draft analyst and league insider Todd McShay of The Ringer shared that “some information” he had picked up led him to believe that the Cleveland Browns will select Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the second pick of the 2025 NFL Draft and then trade back into the first round to grab a quarterback such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart or Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.
For an article published late Tuesday night, Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand seemed to pour cold water over such theories.
“I don’t think the Browns move up into the first round from No. 33,” Grossi wrote, “but that could change if their QB targets get swept into the first round. They’re going to have to be nimble on April 24, and they have to have good intel to justify a trade up.”
As recently as Wednesday, individuals such as Dane Brugler of The Athletic predicted that Miami’s Cam Ward and Sanders would be the only quarterbacks drafted in the first round on April 24. The New Orleans Saints could target either Sanders or Dart at selection No. 9, but they also could be a candidate to trade back into the first round if it appears that both signal-callers will be on the board when the Pittsburgh Steelers are called to spend the 21st overall choice.
Draft gurus have noted from this past fall through April that none of the quarterbacks in this year’s class have a true first-round grade. That said, it’s assumed a team such as the Browns could trade back into the first round to ensure that a fifth-year option is attached to the rookie contract for a yet-to-be-determined signal-caller.
“I think the fifth-year option is overrated and not worth using an extra draft pick to make it available,” Grossi explained. “If your quarterback proves that he is your long-term answer, you’ll want to extend his contract as soon as he’s eligible after his third season. The fifth-year option can be a thorny issue if you’re undecided on what you have. If the player proves unworthy of future years – in a big, new contract — the fifth year becomes a salary cap burden.”
Brugler thinks that Cleveland will be able to get Hunter at pick No. 2 and Dart at choice No. 33. Such a scenario could make the Browns big winners of the draft if Dart is as good as his biggest fans think he’ll be.
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