CLEVELAND, Ohio — At Colorado football’s showcase last week, Browns GM Andrew Berry joked with cleveland.com about wishing he could have quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter.
With the No. 2 overall pick, he will likely have both players available to him and a difficult decision to make.
I continue to believe the Browns should take a swing on Sanders at 2, as I said in my second mock draft last month. But what if they don’t?
It’s a possibility I’m considering more, especially after former Browns safety and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick dropped a bombshell Wednesday morning, saying he thinks that Shedeur Sanders’ camp doesn’t want him to be drafted by the Browns or other teams in the top three.
It’s a big deal because Riddick and Deion Sanders spent a year playing together for the Falcons and have remained close. Riddick backed up his assertion that Sanders would be fine not going in the top three in an interview with cleveland.com as well.
So let’s humor that idea for the sake of this mock draft. If the Browns take Hunter at 2 instead, what will they do for quarterback?
Here is another crack at a three-round mock draft, which looks at the possibilities for Cleveland’s first two days’ worth of picks.
I used Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator as my guide to get a feel for where players may be available, and let the simulator draft for the other 31 teams.
Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) takes part in passing drills during Colorado’s NFL football pro day Friday, April 4, 2025, in Boulder, Colo., a workout the Browns attended and were impressed with. AP
Round 1, Pick No. 2: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Last Mock: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Once again, in this run of the simulator, Miami QB Cam Ward was the first overall pick by the Tennessee Titans.
So I’m scooping Hunter here, and I’ll see who I can get later at QB.
Hunter has elite ball skills, something the Browns have raved about, and could legitimately play on both offense and defense in the NFL. It would be easy to see him starting alongside No. 1 receiver Jerry Jeudy or alongside Denzel Ward in the Cleveland secondary.
At Colorado last season, en route to winning the Heisman Trophy, Hunter led the team with four interceptions and 11 PBUs. He allowed only 23 catches and one touchdown on 41 targets in coverage, per Pro Football Focus.
Offensively, he was ranked in the top five in the FBS with 15 receiving TDs, 1,258 receiving yards and 96 receptions.
He would be a game-changing player. The only question for the Browns is, does he change the fortune of your franchise enough to punt on a quarterback? I’m still not a fan of this strategy, but let’s see who we can get for at QB later for the sake of argument.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe would have a chance to reunite with his former college coordinator Tommy Rees if the Browns draft him.(AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Round 2, Pick No. 33: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Last mock: Nic Scourton, ED, Texas A&M
This is where I need to diverge from the simulator.
At this point in the draft, the first pick in the second round, the only other quarterback off the board was Sanders at 16 to the Cardinals.
I would be surprised for Sanders to go this late — and I would be surprised for Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart to still be on the board at the end of the first round. I’ve seen him mocked as high as a top-10 pick, and I feel like that is very much on the table knowing the other teams that need QBs: The Giants, Raiders, Jets, and Saints could all be in the mix at the position within the top 10.
So even though Dart was available to me, I couldn’t take him here: I just don’t think it’s realistic.
Milroe even could wind up being gone in the first round (there’s buzz about him to the Steelers at 21) but this is at least a slightly more realistic landing spot for him. Let’s reunite him with his old Alabama OC Tommy Rees and see what the duo can do together again in the NFL with Milroe’s dual threat ability.
LSU tight end Mason Taylor could add youth and early production for the Browns. Dan Labbe
Round 3, Pick No. 67: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
Last mock: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
I would have taken Arroyo here again had he been available, but in this simulation he went 59th overall to the Ravens.
Taylor, the son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and nephew of Hall of Famer Zach Thomas, is young at only 20 years old. He would be a solid second tight end behind David Njoku for the Browns, and as he gets stronger has the potential to add strength and a high ceiling.
He only had one drop last year for the Tigers, according to PFF.
Central Arkansas defensive lineman David Walker had 12 sacks last season. AP
Round 3, Pick No. 94: David Walker, Edge, Central Arkansas
Last mock: Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
I would have liked to add an edge rusher earlier and that’s my biggest complaint about this draft so far.
At 94, Walker, a highly-decorated FCS player, is the best guy available. I’ll take him for his 12 sacks in 2024 alone.
He lined up outside of opposing tackles for 672 of his 731 defensive snaps last season, and PFF gave him a 94.0 pass rush grade.
This draft positioning is still a reach for Walker, though. He seems to be more of a day three pick.
Conclusions
PFF gave me a C+ draft grade.
Other than the Hunter pick (A), the rest was hard to swallow for me as a former straight-A student.
Much like in my first mock draft, the simulator hates the Milroe pick at 33 and gave it an F — by PFF’s own metrics, though, Milroe was the best QB available. Bottom line, I needed someone, and that’s why I would rather take Sanders at 2 if given the chance.
The simulator gave me a C- on Taylor and a C on Walker.
Overall, I leave this experiment feeling OK, but like I could do better — which I will try and do in my final three-round mock prior to April 24.
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