At last, it is the week of the 2025 NFL Draft.

All of the pre-draft work is done, from the Senior Bowl to last-minute private workouts. The Cleveland Browns hold the No. 2 overall draft pick on Thursday, and there seems to be little chance that they will take someone other than Travis Hunter.

Since the draft begins on Thursday, let’s get three bold predictions out of the way.

Browns will take their hopeful quarterback of the future at the end of the first round in a trade-up

Cleveland has made two moves at quarterback this offseason by trading for Kenny Pickett early on, and then signing Joe Flacco recently. The Browns have two options there who can be starters for them in spurts, and perhaps Flacco can be as long as they want to ride him. Still, the Browns need a quarterback of the future.

Having the fifth-year option does have value and you only get that on a player if you draft them in the first round. Cleveland holds pick No. 33 to start Day 2, which does have some value. I expect the Browns to pounce on a quarterback that is there near the end of the first round.

Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, and Jalen Milroe are all quarterbacks who the Browns have done plenty of work on. Cleveland seems like they’ll land one of them and they may want to move up to get that extra year.

Cleveland will find their running back in the third round of the draft

If the Browns trade up into the first round like I mentioned, they’re going to have to give up one of their third-round picks. Luckily, Cleveland has two picks in that round and one of them needs to be spent on the running back of the future.

This is a loaded draft at the running back position. Nick Chubb is a free agent still and could end up signing after the draft, though Cleveland can’t rely on him to be the guy anymore after the injuries. Jerome Ford is in the picture and he provides a better spark as the No. 2 guy.

Quinshon Judkins will be a TRUE 3 Down RB

➖Size: 6’0, 221 lbs
➖Speed: 4.48 (81st Percentile)
➖Production: 1,221 Yards, 16 TD’s (2024)

He’s hit 1,200 Total Yards + 15 TDs in ALL 3 of his Collegiate Seasons..

42 Career Games:

➖50 TDs
➖4,227 Yards

That’s 100.6 YPG..

RB1 pic.twitter.com/G1d5Q0FezO

— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) April 9, 2025

Players like Quinshon Judkins, D.J. Giddens, Devin Neal, Kaleb Johnson, Cam Skattebo, and Bhayshul Tuten are early to middle-round options that could be there. The run game has to be better for Cleveland in 2025 and they have to get younger at the position.

Cleveland is going to spend seven of 10 draft picks on the offensive side of the football

The Browns offense was abysmal last year and the quarterback play was the worst part of it all. Still, there were issues at every position and the Browns simply were not good enough. Cleveland has to upgrade on offense big time in this draft with 10 picks.

There are still needs on the defensive side of the football. More depth in the defensive trenches and defensive backfield makes sense, but the Browns should be using the majority of their pics on the defensive side of the ball. Cleveland hasn’t had a top-50 pick in three years, so they have to maximize those first couple of selections. 

Andrew Berry sounds like he’s ready to draft the NFL’s own Shohei Ohtani for the Cleveland Browns

An interesting way to put it by Berry.