Browns pass on quarterback for class’s best prospect in latest 2025 mock draft

Travis Hunter, NFL Draft, Giants, Jets, Browns
Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns have an uncertain future under center that could be addressed with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the class’s top prospect could be on the board, and he might just be too good to pass up in favor of a quarterback.

Browns predicted to take WR Travis Hunter over top QBs

Travis Hunter, NFL Draft, Giants
Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

That prospect could be Colorado’s Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah had the Browns taking Hunter in his mock draft 1.0:

“Quarterback is in play here for the Browns, but in this scenario, they pick Hunter, the Heisman Trophy-winning two-way star. I’m in the minority as someone who prefers him as a full-time offensive player who moonlights on defense,” Jeremiah wrote.

Hunter is widely viewed as the top prospect in the upcoming draft class. His 1,258 receiving yards, Big 12-leading 96 receptions, and 15 REC touchdowns prove him to be a game-changing pass-catcher who could help Cleveland improve upon their 3,879 receiving yards from 2024, which ranked No. 19 among all teams last time out. His four interceptions and 11 pass defenses prove his quality on the defensive side of the ball as a cornerback as well.

Browns may have a barrier to drafting one of the top QB prospects

However, Jeremiah did not have the Browns take Miami QB Cam Ward or Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders to address the position. Cleveland lost starter Deshaun Watson to a ruptured Achilles which limited him to only seven games last season. They received more bad news about Watson recently when it was reported that he ruptured his Achilles a second time earlier this offseason, which will inevitably keep him sidelined for a portion of the 2025 regular season.

Shedeur Sanders, NFL Draft, Raiders, Giants
Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Ward and Sanders are uniformly viewed as the top two gunslingers in the draft. However, rumors have circulated that Shedeur’s father and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders won’t let his son play for the Browns. Deion has said publicly that he would intervene if certain franchises entertain drafting Shedeur and the Browns are speculated to be one of those exiled teams.

Ward could go No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, leaving the Browns without a quarterback option if the Sanders family indeed refuses a move to Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns could opt to sign a bridge quarterback in free agency and wait for Watson to get healthy in hopes that he can return to being the near 5,000-yard QB he once was back in 2020. Gifting him with an elite-caliber pass-catcher in Hunter could help him make such a return. The one thing that’s for sure is, at least two of the three players will be available for them to select.

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