The Cleveland Browns are one of the biggest variables in the 2024 season.
They no doubt have a talented roster, but do they have the right pieces to mount a deep and sustained challenge in a loaded AFC? If that does not materialize this year, the Browns may have to think about taking a different tactic in the 2025 offseason.
In our 7-round Browns mock draft, we look at what options they may target to ensure they are in the conversation with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.
Who Could the Cleveland Browns Draft in 2025?
1.17) Cleveland Browns: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
The Browns picked up Jedrick Wills Jr.’s fifth-year option in the offseason of 2023 — but then he regressed the following season. There’s an outcome where they move on after his fifth year plays out. In that scenario, LSU’s Will Campbell would be an ideal replacement.
At 6’6″, 320 pounds, Campbell has nimble, free-flowing athleticism for his size. He’s a smooth operator in both phases with a steady center of gravity, great balance, and tight hands. His length could be an issue for some, but he compensates with compact power.
2.49) Cleveland Browns: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
Coming off an injury, Nick Chubb’s long-term utility is relatively uncertain. Cleveland could start the changing of the guard by adding Omarion Hampton, a 6’0″, 220-pound brawler with phenomenal explosiveness, speed, physicality, and initial vision.
When you look at the contract situation at the position, Chubb, D’Onta Foreman, and Nyheim Hines are set to be free agents in 2025, while Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. are set to hit the open market in 2026. Therefore, they may decide to address it in free agency next year, but if they are comfortable with Ford and Strong as their veterans, a Day 2 pick at RB could make a lot of sense in the 2025 NFL Draft.
3.81) Cleveland Browns: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
The Browns are stuck with Deshaun Watson, but a long-term insurance plan like Jalen Milroe could pay off if Watson stalls out. Milroe has elite athleticism and a rocket arm.
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full 7-Round NFL Mock Draft
Watson’s performance in 2024 will likely dictate how early the Browns chase a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. If he continues to struggle, we could see the Browns willing to throw a Day 1 pick at the position to set themselves up for the post-Watson era. However, if he can stay healthy and put them in a position to win regularly, they can look to take a more developmental approach.
Rounds 4-7
4.114) Cleveland Browns
Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
6.170) Cleveland Browns
Patrick Jenkins, DT, Tulane
6.178) Cleveland Browns
Rara Thomas, WR, Georgia
6.190) Cleveland Browns
Kain Medrano, LB, UCLA
7.202) Cleveland Browns
Jaylin Lane, WR, Virginia Tech
7.210) Cleveland Browns
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
