Cleveland Browns reportedly eyeing 2025 NFL Draft trade

The Cleveland Browns are one of a few teams without an established starting quarterback for the 2025 season. Sure, Deshaun Watson is on the roster, but a recently torn Achilles casts heavy doubt that he’ll be able to play at all next season.

The Browns did trade for former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, but the soon-to-be 27-year-old doesn’t arrive with high expectations after having a career TD: INT ratio of 15-14. It doesn’t help that Russell Wilson, who visited with the Browns, just signed with the New York Giants either.

Yet, the Browns do boast the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which could be used to target a quarterback such as University of Miami’s Cam Ward. However, most projections have the Tennessee Titans selecting Ward first. So, what will the Browns do with the second overall pick in the first round?

Cleveland Browns open to trading down from No. 2

If Cam Ward is off the draft board by the time the Cleveland Browns are on the clock, what will they do? University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will still be available, but draft projections on Deion Sanders’ son suggest he’ll be anywhere from a top-five pick to possibly even a second-round selection, though quarterbacks tend to get pushed up the board.

The Browns will undoubtedly have a chance to take a great prospect with the second overall pick; however, NFL insider Josina Anderson‘s sources suggest Cleveland could be willing to trade down instead.

“The agent getting this deal for Russell Wilson, given the market circumstances, is good work. On the flip side, with Jameis Winston already on the roster at his cost & the upcoming Draft, it feels like a panic move by the Giants, especially given what I just heard today regarding one team’s current view that Cleveland sounds potentially open to trading back, per a league source.”
Josina Anderson on Cleveland Browns’ draft plans

If the Browns trade back, it’s possible they’d still be targeting a quarterback. Or perhaps they’re simply looking to add more value in a season that likely won’t see them compete for a top seed in the AFC Playoffs while eyeing a chance to bounce back even stronger in 2026. Either way, it appears the Browns are open for business when it comes to the NFL Draft.