Cleveland Browns Receive Bold Praise Following 2025 NFL Draft

Fans and analysts had mixed opinions on the Cleveland Browns' 2025 NFL Draft. Despite passing on a player that many considered to be a "generational talent" in Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall, the Browns were able to fill key positional needs while acquiring additional future draft capital.

In a Tuesday article, Sports Illustrated writer Matt Verderame said that the Browns are one of the most improved teams in the league following last weekend's NFL Draft. Verderame ranked Cleveland fifth, following the Buccaneers, Steelers, Cowboys and Patriots among teams that got significantly better.

"This is a controversial opinion, but the Browns got better," Verderame wrote. "They not only added a 2026 first-round pick by trading back from No. 2 to No. 5 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but still managed to land a stud in defensive tackle Mason Graham. In the subsequent rounds, Cleveland snagged a pair of dynamic running backs in Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson."

After selecting Graham fifth, the Browns took UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, Judkins, Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr., Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Sampson with their next five picks. However, it was Cleveland's fifth-round selection that drew praise from around the NFL as a major steal.

"Of course, the headliner is Shedeur Sanders, who fell to the fifth round before the Browns snapped him up at No. 144," Verderame said. "Sanders could end up being a footnote in history, or he could prove to be an incredible steal for a franchise that’s been looking for a quarterback since Bernie Kosar. If Sanders pans out, this draft class could be remembered as generational and transformative for Cleveland."

The Browns' decision to select two quarterbacks and two running backs may be puzzling to some, but it's undeniable that the offense has significantly more talent on it than last year's 32nd-ranked unit. The defense also got better in a major way, as Graham could form a fearsome duo with edge rusher Myles Garrett that will likely have opposing quarterbacks losing sleep.

If all goes well, as Verderame said, a "transformative" draft class could work wonders for a Cleveland franchise that has won one playoff game in the last 30 years.