The Cleveland Browns finally admitted that the Deshaun Watson deal cratered the franchise over the past three seasons and will be an ongoing concern, but that doesn’t mean a new rookie QB is on the immediate horizon.
Owner Jimmy Haslam spoke with media members on Monday, March 31, calling the Watson deal a “big swing-and-miss,” which is precisely the type of rhetoric the team avoided at all costs over the past three seasons amid Watsons’ off-field legal issues and on-field struggles. That Haslam is willing to acknowledge the blunder now bodes ill for Watson, who several prominent NFL analysts have predicted will never take a snap in orange and brown again.
Cleveland owns the No. 2 pick in April’s draft, and Haslam’s comments would appear to indicate the team will seek a franchise QB at that spot. However, the Browns owner pumped the brakes on that notion as a foregone conclusion in the front office.
“It would be great if we could get ‘the quarterback,’ but we’re not going to force it,” Haslam said, per 247 Sports. “We’re going to be patient, and we’re going to try to accumulate as many really good football players as we can.”
Shedeur Sanders, Kevin Stefanski Quality NFL Fit
GettyColorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Browns’ decision is probably going to come down to how they feel about quarterback Shedeur Sanders of Colorado as the second overall pick.
There are some draft analysts who say that, in a vacuum, Sanders might actually carry a high second-round grade. However, given the positional value and the tremendous need across a handful of teams at quarterback, Sanders is likely to come off the board in the first round — probably somewhere inside the top 10.
Todd McShay said on the March 20 edition of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” that head coach Kevin Stefanski is a perfect fit for Sanders given his proven ability to develop traditional pocket passers whose accuracy is a stronger trait than their arm strength or mobility.
McShay also noted that the Browns’ front office and coaching staff must figure out how to navigate the 2025 season to the point that they still have their jobs in 2026. Drafting Sanders is a good way to do that, especially if he is capable of stepping in at the mid-season point (or potentially before) and shows signs of future success at the professional level.
Browns May Have Options of Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter With No. 2 Pick
GettyPass rusher Abdul Carter of Penn State.
That said, the Browns should have their choice of the best-graded players in the draft if the Tennessee Titans select QB Cam Ward out of Miami with the No. 1 overall pick, or trade the selection to some team that does.
The prevailing logic around the league is that such a pick will happen, which means Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter will be available at No. 2. The Browns have need of both players, and could potentially use the first pick in the second round (No. 33 overall) to draft a signal-caller like Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss, or utilize that selection as part of a deal to trade back into the middle of the first round and select Dart there.
Cleveland has already traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for Kenny Pickett, and the team and former Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Carson Wentz have mutual interest in a one-year bridge deal this offseason, which potentially affords the Browns some leeway to pass on Sanders and take a swing on a QB later in the proceedings.
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