The Cleveland Browns have a dilemma to work through over the next two months.
Cleveland has the coveted No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, allowing the Browns to select a potential game-changing player this April.
With a huge void at the quarterback position, Cleveland could select Deshaun Watson’s replacement with that selection.
The Browns could also pick from a handful of free-agent options in March, and several veteran quarterbacks with a plethora of experience will be available.
Conversely, Cleveland could take a player from another position to address their other roster deficiencies.
Analyst Conor Orr believes the Browns will do just that, predicting the Browns will draft a defensive end in 2025 while waiting until 2026’s class to go after Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
“The Browns won’t take a quarterback in this year’s draft and will instead draft Myles Garrett’s replacement. Trading Garrett after the draft, which designates him as a post–June 1 cut and minimizes some of the dead money, will arm Cleveland for a run at the bigger prize looming at the end of this long and sordid path at some point in the distant future: A Manning to pair with family friend and owner Jimmy Haslam,” Orr said.
Orr’s prediction suggests Cleveland would choose Penn State’s Abdul Carter with the second-overall selection as the defensive end is the highest-ranked player at that position in this year’s draft class.
Manning appeared in nine games this season for the Longhorns, completing 61 of his 90 passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The second-year quarterback also logged 25 carries for 108 yards and four more scores last season.
