Browns send unmistakable message to these 3 players with NFL Draft choices

Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles tendon in Week 7 of the Cleveland Browns' 2024 season. It was a huge and impactful moment on the rest of the Browns' season. It was yet another injury that forced another quarterback to step up and show that Watson was the problem with Cleveland's offense, and not the other way around.

Then, Watson tore his Achilles again in the rehab process. That meant that he'd likely not be ready for the start of 2025, nor would be he ready at any point for the 2025 season. Watson kicked off what ended up being a two-quarterback haul of a draft this year, and it has landed him on very thin ice as it pertains to his future with the team beyond 2025.

That's a good thing. The experiment should be over. And, if the team swings and misses on Shedeur Sanders, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel this year, they have two first round picks to work with in 2026 to find another quarterback to invest in.

But, the teams' other draft picks really signal that there are at least two other players the team has to be considering as potential liabilities ahead of the 2025 season. And, the lack of a pick spent on another specific position should be giving at least one Browns player some major confidence.

3 players receiving unmistable message after Browns' 2025 NFL Draft

Jerry Jeudy

Jeudy really exploded onto the scene for the first time in his very young career in 2024. After four years of never touching 1,000 receiving yards, Jeudy reached that point with the Browns with multiple different quarterbacks. That sudden level of production was likely because he became the teams' de facto WR1 after they traded Amari Cooper.

But, he could also now be seen as the real WR1, and the team might be considering that this is who Jeudy was always projected to be as a prospect - a receiver able to touch 1,000+ receiving yards consistently. That would make the team avoiding a WR altogether in the draft make sense. They like who they have in that room, which is currently helmed by Jeudy.

Nick Chubb

Chubb, unfortunately, witnessed the opposite draft that Jeudy probably did. The Browns took two great running backs in this years draft, Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. Judkins can likely start Day 1 for the Browns, whereas Sampson feels like a legitimate RB2 threat to Jerome Ford if he impresses in camp and preseason.

Chubb feels like the odd man out here because of that. He's yet to sign a new deal with the Browns, but he's yet to sign anywhere else. After this draft, there are sure to be teams looking to snag him off the market, especially with Cleveland cleaning house on running backs from other RB-needy teams. We'll see if he's open to returning to work alongside Judkins and form a really great duo, but right now, it just doesn't seem likely.

Deshaun Watson

Watson is the obvious odd man out on this team, and has been for a while. General manager Andrew Berry has wished Watson well in his recovery and hasn't straight up cut him from the team, but it's clear the Browns are ready to move on from him. Even if he's healthy in 2026, they're not going to go back one more time to him if they can take a great QB prospect that year, instead.

And, if the team hits on one of their newer quarterbacks, then it speeds up their rebuild and really places Watson on the outs. It's just so clear that when we speak about a quarterback competition, we're never going to mention Watson in the Browns' QB room ever again.