The top college prospects will be on display over the weekend and next week at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, Texas, and the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
While draft prospects really start getting evaluated by NFL personnel in earnest at these practices and games, there’s already plenty of guessing going on via mock drafts.
A lot will change, but where do analysts have the Cleveland Browns going with the No. 2 overall pick as of late January?
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
There’s little consensus this early, but Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, going to the Browns at No. 2 is maybe the closest thing we have to it in early mock drafts.
In his first round mock for ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr. suspects the Browns will address their need for a quarterback in free agency or via trade, something GM Andrew Berry has done in the past with positions of need.
I think Cleveland is more likely to address another hole here and find QB reinforcements in free agency and/or later in the draft,” Kiper wrote. “(Trading back for more picks with another QB-needy team could be part of the equation, too).
“Plus, Hunter is just that good. I see elite quickness and ball skills on both sides of the ball, traits that helped him to 15 touchdown catches and four interceptions this season. The Browns would likely use him primarily at receiver and then sprinkle him in at cornerback in specific situations.”
Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports also has Hunter going to the Browns.
“Much like the Titans, I don’t expect the Browns to allow their desperate need for a franchise quarterback to force them to pass up a talent like Hunter in favor of one of this year’s top signal-callers, ” he wrote. “No matter where he lines up, Hunter is a big-play machine with All-Pro potential at multiple positions, making him the easy pick here.”
Last year, Hunter had 1,258 receiving yards on 96 catches with 15 TDs. On defense, he had four INTs and 11 passes defensed.
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
It’s Ward, not Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, whom CBS Sports went with in their early mock draft at No. 2.
Chris Trapasso actually has the Raiders chasing Sanders in this mock, and executing a trade with the Titans in order to take him No. 1 overall.
“We cannot rule out the possibility of the Raiders — and new minority owner Tom Brady — making an aggressive push to draft Shedeur Sanders,” he writes. “There’s a chance Sanders’ connection with Brady will make it too dicey for Las Vegas to simply hope and wait for him to fall to No. 6 overall.”
So what about Ward, the other top QB prospect who threw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2024?
“Cam Ward has some footwork issues to clean up but does have quality improvisational skill and improved from in the pocket in each of his last three seasons in college,” he writes. “The Browns HAVE to draft a quarterback, right?”
Well, not necessarqily.
Abdul Carter, ED, Penn State
An edge rushing partner for Myles Garrett?
That’s the direction Tankathon has the Browns going as of now, taking Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter No. 2.
In this mock, Sanders also goes No. 1. But instead of going with Hunter, the Browns opt to bolster their D-line with the Nittany Lion who had 12 sacks, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 2024.
