• Alabama QB Jalen Milroe replaces Deshaun Watson: A new quarterback feels inevitable with Watson's ongoing struggles, and Milroe's dynamic playstyle could offer a much-needed spark to the offense.
• The team drafts offense in all three rounds: Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons and Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals round out the first two days of the draft.
• Draft and trade for yourself: Try PFF's Mock Draft Simulator — trade picks and players and mock for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
The Cleveland Browns‘ 2024 season has not gone according to plan, and as things stand, they would have the second overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That’s something few would have predicted, given the overall strengths of this roster, and it’s why they are the first team we are looking at in a weekly series where we will complete a three-round mock draft.
Here’s a look at what we would do if we were the Browns and they indeed had the second overall selection in the draft. Click here to see how the draft order is shaping up after NFL Week 6.
Round 1 (2): QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama
The reality that the Browns face is that they simply have to do something at the quarterback position if Deshaun Watson continues to play like this.
Through six weeks of the season, he has earned a PFF grade below 60.0 in four of six games, all while averaging $46 million per year. Is there a quarterback you would love to draft with the second overall pick in this draft? Maybe not yet. However, waiting until Round 2 isn’t a great strategy, either.
Milroe will compete with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and MIami's Cam Ward to be the first quarterback off the board, but as things stand, he is the highest-ranked player at the position on PFF’s Big Board. He’s not making many mistakes, having posted just a 1.8% turnover-worthy play rate through seven weeks.
Round 2 (34): T Josh Simmons, Ohio State
Keeping whoever they have at quarterback upright should be another goal heading into the offseason, and Ohio State’s Simmons would be a fantastic selection at the top of Round 2. He has allowed just two hurries from 158 pass-blocking snaps this season, earning an 86.7 PFF pass-blocking grade that ranks ninth among draft-eligible tackles after Week 7.
Round 3 (66): WR Jalen Royals, Utah State
Sticking with the offense in the third round, finding another pass-catcher would be wise, especially considering the potential that the Browns could be sellers at the trade deadline — and Amari Cooper has been tipped as a potential trade candidate.
Royals is on track for a career-high in terms of productivity, averaging 2.75 yards per route run in 2024.
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