The Cleveland Browns Top 4 2025 NFL Draft options at QB

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The topic of the next Cleveland Browns quarterback has hit its stride as we gear up first for the NFL free agency window in March and then the NFL Draft in April. The Browns hold the No. 2 draft pick in that draft and thus there’s been plenty of chatter on the topic.

Two quarterbacks, Cam Ward(Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), are considered the top prospects, but are they worth taking so high in the draft? There are opinions out there that this quarterback class is not that strong. So would Cleveland be wrong in drafting one of these players? Would the team be better served taking a player like Travis Hunter ( Colorado), a combo wide receiver and cornerback who some say is the best athlete on the draft board?

Interesting note on the discussion of drafting a quarterback in this year’s draft in this season’s NFL playoffs of the 14 teams involved, 12 of them had quarterbacks taken in the first round. So when you start taking quarterbacks outside of the first round, the reliability and stardom of the player take a big hit. There are many exceptions to that fact noting star quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Russell Wilson but taking a quarterback in the first round has more upside.

In this article  we’re going to look at these top two quarterbacks and a couple more quarterbacks that Browns fans are discussing in the days leading up to the draft.

No. 1 QB for Browns to consider drafting: Cam Ward, Miami

Cam Ward had a great career in college throwing the ball with the luxury to run with the football too which has made him probably one of the first players to be drafted. He spent his first two seasons as a Washington State Cougar and this past season with the Miami Hurricanes. In that time he threw for 11,281 yards and had 87 touchdowns. He only threw 23 interceptions. He also used his feet when needed. This past season he ran for 406 yards and scored 17 more touchdowns.

When you watch Ward on film, he has been good at eluding the pass rush and making many accurate throws. He doesn’t look rattled in the pocket and when he does run with the ball it looks pretty effortless.

Ward has good height at 6’2 and his game should transition to the NFL well. I don’t see Ward not being able to handle playing at the next level and whoever drafts him will have drafted themselves a future NFL star.

As we stand today, the Tennessee Titans, who have the No. 1 pick in the draft are intrigued by Ward and could pick him. If however, they go with a different quarterback and Ward is there at No. 2 for the Browns then I’d hope to see them draft him. Of all the quarterbacks in this series, he probably is the most ready to start in the NFL in Week 1.

 

No. 2 QB for Browns to consider drafting: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

When you study film on Shedeur Sanders and review his collegiate stats you immediately see a quarterback who settles in the pocket well and will do well in the NFL. He has “star” written all over him. It also helps that his father is Deion Sanders, an NFL Hall of Famer. Because of his play being more traditional from the pocket, he’s made some mistakes there, like getting sacked too much from time to time but the upside with his dazzling throws and strong arm are all very appealing.

In two years at Colorado, he threw for 7,364 yards and had 64 touchdowns. He only threw 13 interceptions in that time.  Interestingly, he ran for a minus 127 yards and eight touchdowns, so he’s taken a few sacks along the way.

Watching film on Sanders though shows me a quarterback I believe Browns coach Kevin Stefanski would love in his offense especially if Cleveland goes back to the coach making the play calls. Sanders doesn’t need to run around a lot and has good pocket presence with an accurate arm. He will make quick decisions and get the ball out to his wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs.

One of the bigger issues with Sanders is his father Deion Sanders who is currently the coach at Colorado. There are a lot of rumors flying around that senior Sanders might coach again in the NFL, maybe as the Dallas Cowboys or Las Vegas Raiders next coach. Also, there are reports out there in social media land that Sanders would stop a team like the Browns from drafting his son. Despite, all the soap opera around the Sanders family, the junior Sanders would be worth the draft pick by the Browns because he has talent to succeed in the NFL from the start.

No. 3 QB for the Browns to consider drafting: Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Jalen Milroe is racing up some NFL mock draft big boards. For Cleveland, they just announced the hiring of Tommy Rees as their new offensive coordinator. Rees actually coached Milroe at Alabama when he was OC there back in 2023. Some local analysts are speculating that the Rees hire would make the Browns the favorites to draft him. Would Cleveland take him as high as their No. 2 pick? To me, that seems too high. However, if he were still there by their No. 33 pick, and let’s say the team signs potential free agent QB Kirk Cousins in the meantime, then I think it would be a great decision.

I don’t believe Milroe’s game is ready to start NFL games in Week 1 but giving him some time to watch an NFL veteran for a season would be the best option.

At Alabama, he played for four seasons though his first two campaigns were very limited. Overall he threw for 6,016 yards and had 45 touchdowns. He did throw 20 interceptions. The other part of his game included his running ability. He often times escaped the backfield and scampered for 1,577 yards and 33 touchdowns. This past season he ran for 726 yards and had 20 touchdowns.

Of all the possible quarterbacks for the Browns to consider in this year’s draft, Milroe is the one with the most ability to use as a running quarterback. However, I just don’t see Browns coach Stefanski wanting another quarterback who thinks “run first” when the pocket collapses.

Milroe is a great athlete and could be a nice middle round of the NFL draft pick. I think it would be a stretch to try and take him at No. 2 or even No. 33. If he’s there in the latter part of the second round or early third round then I think the risk would be worth it.

 

No. 4 QB for the Browns to consider drafting: Will Howard, Ohio State

It helps when you were the quarterback who just led his team to a National Championship. Will Howard, the Ohio State QB has certainly earned a lot of respect for the season he just put together. Is it enough for him to get drafted by an NFL team? Yes, it is, but just how far up the quarterback “leaderboard” does he climb?

I had the opportunity to watch Howard play a lot of starting quarterback when he was at Kansas State because I lived there in the area of the college. He played for the Wildcats for four seasons. He was a good quarterback but didn’t do anything flashy. He was smart with the ball and usually made sound decisions. While the Wildcats have talent on their team, the talent that Howard was awarded when he became the quarterback at Ohio State grew enormously. The Buckeyes wide receiver room is likely the best in college football.

After Ohio State won the National Championship, I had a friend from Kansas text me that “KSTATE has no WR like that” in referring to Ohio State freshman WR Jeremiah Smith.

Howard made huge strides in his confidence as a quarterback and it played out well for him and his new teammates. For his five years as a college quarterback, he threw for 9,796 yards and 83 touchdowns. This year as a Buckeye, he doubled his usual season output going for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns. Over his career, he also used his legs well rumbling for 1,147 yards and 26 touchdowns.

His tall height at 6’4 and his savvy ability to run when things break down or on a quarterback keeper, make him an intriguing prospect for the Browns. There was a quarterback by the name of Ben Roethlisberger, who once had a very successful career in the NFL that Howard reminds me of now. I wouldn’t draft Howard in the first or second round but if he were there in the third round, I could definitely see Cleveland drafting him.