Draft guru predicts if Browns would choose Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders

Last week, Cleveland Browns reporter Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand suggested that the club's alleged interest in Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is a "smokescreen" meant to result in Cleveland selecting Miami signal-caller Cam Ward with the second pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

In his latest mock draft published on Tuesday, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. shared why he believes the Browns will take Ward over Sanders if both players are available after the Tennessee Titans spend the first choice of the player-selection process. 

"I have Sanders ranked slightly ahead of Ward in my own rankings, but mock drafts are supposed to represent what the league thinks and what is likely to happen. And right now, Ward is the consensus QB1 in the class," Kiper explained. "He can make tough throws from different arm angles, on the move and under duress. His creativity in and out of the pocket and his arm strength are impressive, leading to 39 touchdown passes in his final college season."

Multiple unnamed members of NFL front offices, scouting directors and other personnel have repeatedly said throughout the winter that neither Ward nor Sanders would be ranked over the six quarterbacks who were taken in the first round of the 2024 draft. However, Cleveland is seemingly desperate to find a long-term answer in the position as the club prepares to put its Deshaun Watson era in its past. 

Like the Browns, the Titans could be interested in Ward and Sanders unless Tennessee trades the draft's first pick before the night of April 24 arrives. In a mock draft posted on Tuesday, college football writers from The Athletic predicted that the Titans would take Ward instead of Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter at No. 1. 

Kiper noted that "the Titans would love having Carter" because "sliding him next to Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat makes a lot of sense" for a club "that was 25th in pressure (29.0%) this past season." It's far too early to know, for sure, if the Titans "love" Carter so much that they would leave Ward and Sanders for Cleveland, but it appears some within the league believe the Browns will be able to land their favorite quarterback of this year's draft class at pick No. 2.