2025 Browns NFL draft grades: Grades for every Cleveland selection
Update: The Cleveland Browns have traded the No. 2 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their picks have been updated below.
The Cleveland Browns have a plethora of opportunities to improve their roster in the 2025 NFL Draft.
As owners of a 3-14 record in 2024, the Browns have some great draft pick value as holders of both the No. 2 overall pick and No. 33 overall pick – first in the second round – in this year's draft. After that, Cleveland has six more draft picks in Rounds 3 through 7, meaning it has eight total opportunities to upgrade its roster with an infusion of young talent.
The Browns' top roster needs are at quarterback, running back and tight end entering the draft. There was also room to improve in the defensive secondary or the defensive line to take some pressure off of recently extended defensive end Myles Garrett.
Paste BN Sports will grade the Browns' draft picks as they happen using a variety of factors, including team needs, player fit and draft value.
Here are Paste BN Sports' grades for each of the Browns selections.
Browns NFL draft grades
Round 1, Pick 5: DT Mason Graham, Michigan
Cleveland hasn't had a first-round pick since 2021 and spend it on arguably the safest player in the draft. Graham is a plug-and-play starter on the interior with a high floor thanks to his run defense abilities. He has limitations right now as a pass rusher but lining up next to Myles Garrett eases those concerns. Cleveland does get a slight ding for passing up on a chance to get the best player in the class at No. 2 overall.
Cleveland appears to be steeling itself for a painful 2025 before embracing a true overhaul in 2026, when it will have two first-rounders - both potentially very early ones - and be able to fully split from Deshaun Watson. So why not then try to move back again? Maybe there wasn't sufficient interest from a team wanting to jump up for someone like Ashton Jeanty, but this still feels like settling a bit. Graham's quickness and motor should help him make a mark quickly, but he might not constitute the true building block this franchise desperately needs. But he's at least a step in the right direction a defense trying to re-establish its former dominance with Myles Garrett back in the fold.
Round 2, Pick 33: LB Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
Ayrton Ostly, Paste BN Sports: B
Schwesinger was a one-year starter for the Bruins after working his way up from walk-on status and became a tackling machine in 2024. He tallied at least 10 sacks in nine out of his 10 starts in his final year in UCLA. While the Browns have other big needs on the roster, Schwesinger is a potential building block in the middle of the defense.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Paste BN Sports: B-
An off-ball linebacker is a bit of a luxury for a team with as many holes as the Browns. Schwesinger could be a hyperactive presence at the second level for Cleveland, but the team is going to have to start attacking premium positions to truly get this rebuild going.
Round 2, Pick 36: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
Well, so much for attacking premium positions in a rebuild. The Browns' backfield is in dire straits, but it's hard to square taking a workhorse back here, especially given the depth available at the position. It's also a little surprising to see Judkins taken ahead of his more dynamic former Buckeyes teammate TreVeyon Henderson.
Cleveland needed a primary ball-carrier after not re-signing Nick Chubb in free agency. Judkins brings a powerful, aggressive style of running to the NFL and should compliment Jerome Ford very well for the Browns' offense starting in 2025.
Round 3, Pick 67: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
Round 3, Pick 94: Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
Despite his extensive production, Gabriel landing in the third round – and ahead of Shedeur Sanders – is nothing short of a shocker. With the undersized passer seemingly limited developmental upside after a lengthy college career, it's hard to figure out what Cleveland saw as the upside here as it sets itself up for a 2026 QB splash.
Gabriel lacks any elite traits and is undersized at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds. He's one of the oldest quarterbacks in the class with six years of college experience. But there are easily four quarterbacks with a higher ceiling than him on the board. This is a misuse of a top-100 draft pick.
Round 4 – No. 126 overall (from Jacksonville): Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee
Sampson led the SEC in rushing yards last season and plays bigger than his 5-foot-8 size would suggest. He's a fast, dynamic player in the open field and should be a perfect fit alongside Round 2 selection Quinshon Judkins.
Round 4 – No. 144 overall (from Philadelphia): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The player many had thought Cleveland would take at the top of Round 2 at the top of Round 5. Cleveland traded up to secure him over other teams in the coming picks. Sanders could be a rookie starter to stabilize the franchise now armed with two first-round picks in 2026. At best, they have a quarterback of the future. At worst, they got him at a very low price.
Browns 2025 NFL draft picks
- Round 1 – No. 5 overall (from Jacksonville): DT Mason Graham, Michigan
- Round 2 – No. 33 overall: LB Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
- Round 2 – No. 36 overall (from Jacksonville): Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
- Round 3 – No. 67 overall: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
- Round 3 – No. 94 overall (from Buffalo): Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
- Round 4 – No. 126 overall (from Jacksonville): Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee
- Round 5 - No. 144 overall (from Philadelphia): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado