No one had a more interesting 2025 NFL Draft than Shedeur Sanders, who the Cleveland Browns finally selected 144th overall in the fifth round. Yet, the Browns selected a total of seven players, meaning there’s a lot more to this story than just the son of Deion Sanders slipping well past the first round.
The Browns had the chance to take two-way sensation Travis Hunter with the second overall pick, but they were able to find a trade that netted them a future first-round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars while sliding down to five.
Once they got to five, the Browns settled on Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Yet, Cleveland’s overall body of work earned the Browns the only A+ NFL Draft grade from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr, who has evaluated hundreds of draft classes in his decades with the popular sports network.
“(Travis) Hunter is the clear best player in the class in my eyes, but defensive tackle Mason Graham was third on my board. He’s strong and moves really well, and he will rush the passer from the interior.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper on Cleveland Browns
The Browns also added a lot of draft capital here, including a 2026 first-rounder. This is a massive part of why they earned my top grade. Jacksonville isn’t exactly a playoff lock, so that could be a high pick next April.
The other main reason I gave the Browns an A+ shouldn’t be a surprise. They got quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 144 to finish their seven-pick draft. He was my No. 5 overall prospect in the class and clear QB1.”
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NFL analysts, including Kiper, have been assessing draft grades for several years. Yet, while it’s fun to glance now, the real results won’t be known until many years later. At that point, we’ll know how much of an impact Hunter, Graham, Sanders, and the future draft capital have on the Browns. For now, Kiper is a huge fan.
