CLEVELAND, Ohio — 2024 is clearly not the year the Browns or their fans thought it would be.
Instead of being playoff contenders, the Browns are 3-10, just one win better than the worst record in the league right now.
While the defense has regressed by and large, the offense has been the bigger issue.
The Browns are 29th in the NFL in scoring offense and have only scored 20 points three times all season. The run game in particular has been a problem, as the Browns are just 30th in the NFL in rushing offense and 31st in net yards per carry (3.8).
2024 has been a renaissance in the running game, and the Browns just have not run the ball well enough all season.
That’s a big reason why the 2025 offseason has to really be focused on offense.
The other reason is the Browns simply haven’t used enough draft picks on offense.
Since Andrew Berry became GM in 2020, the Browns have had 14 picks in the top 100 of the draft. Nine of the 14 have been used on defensive players, and of the five offensive players drafted, just one (Jedrick Wills Jr.) has been picked within the first two rounds.
Yes, the Browns traded three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson and traded out of the second round in 2022 and 2023. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Browns don’t have a lot of high-end youth on offense.
That’s something that needs to change in 2025.
Here is my second 2025 NFL mock draft. [Draft order is according to Tankathon](https://tankathon.com/nfl) as of the end of Week 14, and there will be no trades.
**1\. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado**
---------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-2, 215 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 337-454 (74.2%), 3,926 yards, 35 TDs, 8 INTs.
It seems almost a foregone conclusion that one of the two Colorado stars will be the first pick in April. The only question is whether the team at the top needs a quarterback.
In the case of the Raiders, who were shut out of the QB market in last year’s draft, get easily the best one on the board in Sanders.
**2\. New York Giants (2-11): Cam Ward, QB, Miami**
---------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-2, 223 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 293-435 (67.4%), 4,123 yards, 36 TDs, 7 INTs.
Were this just about any other team, Travis Hunter might be the pick here. But after the Giants cut Daniel Jones and considering what they currently have at quarterback, this feels like Cam Ward territory.
Ward looked like a Heisman contender in the middle of the season. However, he, like his Miami team, did not close out the year strong and his draft stock might suffer as a result.
The Giants, though, have been a needs-based drafting team under Joe Schoen and they simply need a quarterback. Ward needs development time I think in the NFL before he can start consistently, but he’s the kind of swing the Giants will probably end up taking.
**3\. New England Patriots (3-10): Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado**
-------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-1, 185 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 92 receptions, 1,152 yards (12.5 avg.), 14 TDs, 21 solo tackles, 4 INTs, 11 pass breakups.
Hunter feels almost like a lock to be the first non-quarterback off the board in this draft. With how well Drake Maye has played and that he may be the answer at quarterback, adding a receiver like Hunter could make the Patriots a quick riser in the AFC in 2025.
**4\. Carolina Panthers (3-10): Abdul Carter, edge rusher, Penn State**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-3, 259 pounds**.**
**2024 stats**: 60 tackles, 10 sacks, 20 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles, 3 pass breakups.
Bryce Young is looking more and more like he could actually be the guy after a slow start to his career. If the Panthers indeed feel like he at least deserves another year to prove if his recent play is for real, this is the good time to get a replacement for Brian Burns.
Carter is third in the country in tackles for loss.
**5\. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10): Will Johnson, CB, Michigan**
---------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-2, 202 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 12 solo tackles, 1 INT, 2 INTs, 3 pass breakups.
This is a pick I’m sticking with from [my original mock draft back](https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2024/11/nfl-mock-draft-2025-10-can-the-browns-find-another-option-at-quarterback.html) in early November. Even though he hasn’t played since then due to injury, Johnson is clearly the No. 2 corner in this class behind Hunter. He’s an easy fit into the NFL’s second-worst pass defense.
**6\. Tennessee Titans (3-10): Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona**
---------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-5, 212 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 84 receptions, 1,319 yards (15.7 avg.), 8 TDs.
If the Titans can’t get the future quarterback that they need, they might as well get their current quarterbacks some help. McMillan is a quicker receiver than most with his height and he should be able to do for the Titans what former first-round pick Treylon Burks has yet to do.
**7\. New York Jets (3-10): Mason Graham, DT, Michigan**
--------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-3, 325 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 45 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7 TFLs,
Even if the Jets’ biggest needs aren’t on defense, Graham feels too good to pass on in this spot. Imaging him with Quinnen Williams in the middle of their defense is tantalizing.
**8\. Cleveland Browns (3-10): Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State**
---------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 5-9, 215 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 344 carries, 2,497 yards (7.3 avg.), 29 TDs; 20 receptions, 116 yards (5.8 avg.), 1 TD.
I could have easily gone for Will Campbell or Kelvin Banks Jr. even though there are questions about whether they could actually play tackle in the NFL or if they are strictly guards.
But Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs made it cool to draft running backs early again. Considering just how bad the Browns have been at running the football this season, the simplest fix is getting a guy who is having a generational season.
Jeanty has run wild against everyone he’s played this season with six 200-yard games. He also had a monster game vs. Oregon, rushing 25 times for 192 yards and three TDs.
He is a true three-down running back with the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. His frame is great for the position, and he combined it with patience and burst to break big runs at any time.
Jeanty has the talent to be a true heir to Nick Chubb in the Browns backfield and a key ingredient to what ails the Browns running game.
**9\. Chicago Bears (4-9): Will Campbell, OL, LSU**
---------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-6, 323 pounds.
No quarterback has been sacked more than the 56 times Caleb Williams has been sacked this season. Campbell may not be a tackle at the NFL level, but he is an extremely talented lineman who could just be a very good offensive lineman. Teams can never have too many of those.
That’s a reason why I strongly considered Campbell for the Browns. Questions about arm length could push Campbell inside, but with Joel Bitonio not getting any younger, Campbell could be a good piece to revamp the offensive line around if the Browns wanted to take him instead of Jeanty.
**10\. New Orleans Saints (5-8): Mykel Williams, edge rusher, Georgia**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-5, 265 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 20 tackles, 5 sacks, 9 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles.
Bryan Bresee has really started to come on as a pass rusher this season. Pairing him with Williams, who has a strong case for being the second-best edge rusher in this class behind Abdul Carter, makes for a nice foundation on the Saints defensive line.
**11\. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8): Nic Scourton, edge rusher, Texas A&M**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-4, 285 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 37 tackles, 5 sacks, 14 TFLs, 1 forced fumble.
Only one other player on the Bengals besides Trey Hendrickson, the NFL’s leader in sacks with 12.5, has more than two sacks. Scourton brings size, power and a good motor as a pass rusher, and he had a 10-sack season in 2023 before transferring to Texas A&M in 2024.
**12\. Dallas Cowboys (5-8): Jalon Walker, LB/edge rusher, Georgia**
--------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-2, 245 pounds.
**2024 stats:** 57 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11 TFLs, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 pass breakup.
The Cowboys had a lot of success drafting a former linebacker turned edge rusher with Micah Parsons in 2021, and they could certainly do it again here with Walker. His game is diverse enough where he can be an off-ball linebacker but also line up on the edge to get after the quarterback.
**13\. Miami Dolphins (6-7): Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas**
----------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-4, 320 pounds.
Of the top offensive linemen in this year’s class, Banks is the one most likely to stay as a tackle in the NFL. He’s started three seasons at left tackle for the Longhorns, and adding another young tackle along with last year’s second-round pick Patrick Paul might be a smart decision.
**14\. Indianapolis Colts (6-7): Malaki Starks, S, Georgia**
------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-1, 205 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 48 solo tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 INT, 3 pass breakups.
This is another pick that I’m sticking with from my previous mock draft. The Colts rank 26th in the NFL in net yards allowed per pass attempt, and adding a safety with high-end ball skills like Starks feels like a nice piece to help remedy those issues.
**15\. Atlanta Falcons (6-7): James Pearce Jr., edge rusher, Tennessee**
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-5, 243 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 35 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 11 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup.
Pearce is a long edge rusher with high-end athleticism who has put up some very good numbers despite needing some work on his technique. The Falcons have the fewest sacks in the NFL (19) and might be a great fit for a player like Pearce who at one point was considered a potential first overall selection.
**16\. Arizona Cardinals (6-7): Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri**
-----------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 5-11, 208 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 61 receptions, 676 yards (11.1 avg.), 6 TDs.
Burden’s stats have taken a step back from his explosive 2023 season, although that might be more about the team around him not being as good. His speed and ability to get easy yards should really complement Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Cardinals passing attack.
**17\. San Francisco 49ers (6-7): Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan**
---------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-3, 339 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 32 tackles, 3 sacks, 7 TFLs, 2 fumble recoveries, 5 pass breakups.
While Mason Graham gets most of the attention from Michigan’s elite defensive tackle duo, Grant may be getting slept on. His frame and strength should make him an impactful DT in the NFL, and he goes to San Francisco here as a young piece to add to its defensive front.
**18\. Los Angeles Rams (7-6): Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State**
-------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-6, 257 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 88 receptions, 1,062 yards (12.1 avg.), 6 TDs.
The Rams need help at tight end because their top four pass catchers in terms of yards and receptions are all wide receivers. Warren is a walking mismatch because of his size, his movement ability and how he tracks the ball. He has the chance to be as impactful right away as Brock Bowers and Sam LaPorta were as rookies.
**19\. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6): Shemar Stewart, edge rusher, Texas A&M**
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-6, 290 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 31 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 6 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass breakups.
The numbers don’t really stand out from Stewart with just 4.5 career sacks. But he is an extremely explosive edge rusher with size that you don’t typically see out of edge rushers. The Buccaneers lack a standout pass rusher, and Stewart’s athletic ability gives him the potential to develop into one.
**20\. Washington Commanders (8-5): Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota**
---------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-6, 330 pounds.
Now that the Commanders have their franchise quarterback, it’s time to build up the offensive line in front of him to protect their investment. Ersery has the build of a potential starting left tackle because of his length, but he will need to work on playing less upright.
**21\. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5): Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss**
---------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-3, 305 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 48 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 14 TFLs, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 pass breakups.
Nolen is a former five-star prospect who really blossomed this season after transferring from Texas A&M with 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. His kind of explosiveness could be a nice weapon for a Chargers defense because even though they get to the quarterback well with 39 sacks, they are tied for the ninth-fewest TFLs (58) in the league.
**22\. Denver Broncos (8-5): Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan**
-------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-5, 245 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 56 receptions, 582 yards (10.4 avg.), 5 TDs.
The Bo Nix gamble in 2024 has paid off and Denver appears to have its quarterback moving forward. But the Broncos haven’t gotten much out of the tight end position. Loveland has a strong case to be TE1 ahead of Tyler Warren because of his own ability as a receiver, even though his numbers have gone down compared to 2023.
**23\. Seattle Seahawks (8-5): Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama**
-----------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-5, 325 pounds.
A player like Booker might be what the Seahawks need because they have one of the NFL’s weaker running games. He is a massive offensive lineman who knows how to win as a run blocker, and he has powerful hands.
**24\. Baltimore Ravens (8-5): Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State**
-------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-1, 205 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 60 receptions, 743 yards (12.4 avg.), 9 TDs.
Yes the Ravens have issues on defense and they could easily go for a defensive player with this pick. But the fit of Egbuka with the Ravens is probably better than it may seem on the surface.
Despite being a year into a three-year extension, Rashod Bateman hasn’t quite been what the Ravens need at receiver opposite Zay Flowers. Egbuka is smooth receiver who knows how to get open, and he could be a great fit in an offense with Lamar Jackson.
**25\. Houston Texans (8-5): Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame**
----------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-0, 190 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 14 solo tackles, 4 pass breakups.
2024 second-round pick Kamari Lassiter has had to play more outside than inside, where he may be at his best. To move him inside to help him maximize his ability, the Texans get another stud outside corner in Morrison, who has good size and plays with quality technique. However, he was lost for the season in October due to needing hip surgery.
**26\. Green Bay Packers (9-4): Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina**
---------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-3, 193 pounds.
**2024 stats:** 4 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 2 pass breakups.
Like Morrison, Revel is a corner who was lost for the season early due to injury. He played just three games before suffering a torn ACL.
Revel’s frame is so enticing for the corner position, and the Packers could use another corner after declining Eric Stokes’ fifth-year option. He may need a little more time as he recovers from his injury, but his potential is worth the pick.
**27\. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3): Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas**
-----------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 5-11, 180 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 33 receptions, 532 yards (16.1 avg.), 5 TDs.
Bond is the type of receiver the Steelers have historically done well with. Some of the best receivers they have drafted over the past few decades are shorter, speedier receivers, and Bond fits that archetype.
He is very capable of stressing defenses vertically, but he can also make plays after the catch.
The Steelers could also use another receiver after how their passing offense looked clunky at times vs. the Browns on Sunday even though they got the win.
**28\. Minnesota Vikings (11-2): Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon**
-------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-5, 310 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 42 tackles, 5 sacks, 9 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 pass breakups.
The Vikings have one of the NFL’s best defenses this season, but they could still use a little help in the interior. Harmon has been a gamewrecker on the defensive front for the Ducks since transferring from Michigan State prior to the season. His quickness is quite the weapon in the interior, but he will need to be mindful of his high pad level.
**29\. Buffalo Bills (10-3): Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State**
--------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-3, 327 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 32 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 6 TFLs.
Williams, like Egbuka, is one of several Buckeyes who stayed in school and bypassed the NFL for a year. He has been one of Ohio State’s best defensive linemen the last couple of seasons because of his disruptive play in the interior. Williams could be a good addition to the interior of Buffalo’s defensive front, which might need another young piece.
**30\. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2): Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green**
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight**: 6-4, 230 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 100 receptions, 1,342 yards (13.4 avg.), 9 TDs.
Dallas Goedert’s injury history combined with the fact that he will turn 30 on January 3 make tight end a sneaky need for the Eagles. Fannin had great production the last two seasons at BG, including being No. 2 in receiving yards among all pass catchers in the FBS. He’s not the biggest tight end, but if you’re looking for someone who is mainly a receiving tight end, that might be his best role in the NFL.
**31\. Kansas City Chiefs (12-1): Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky**
--------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-6, 345 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 37 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery, 2 pass breakups.
With Chris Jones being 30, the Chiefs could be smart in getting a good young defensive tackle to play next to him and eventually be his heir. Walker plays with great size and power, but he will need to be more consistent, particularly with trying to gain leverage.
**32\. Detroit Lions (12-1): JT Tuimoloau, edge rusher, Ohio State**
--------------------------------------------------------------------
**Height, weight:** 6-5, 269 pounds.
**2024 stats**: 38 tackles, 6 sacks, 12 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup.
The Lions don’t really have too many needs. But one thing that sticks out is that Aidan Hutchinson, who has played just five games all season, still has more than twice as many sacks (7.5) as anyone on the team. Tuimoloau is more of an edge-setting defender than a pure pass rusher, but his physicality should play well as he works on becoming at getting after the quarterback.