Newsletter: Two Final Day Browns Mock Drafts
Let's see the organization close with three strong selections. Here are my choices.
There was plenty to like on the second day of the Browns draft process which included premium picks at 33, 36, and 64. Even though the positions were those the supplement the premium spots, they nailed the picks with players I think will have strong NFL production. That is all you can ask in these draft settings and I believe in the evaluations of those players.
Carson Schwesinger is a versatile linebacker who can play both MIKE and WILL and should bring some relief to the questions surrounding Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah while also providing a stellar running mate for JOK should he be able to play this season. Quinshon Judkins is a three-down back who I think fits the Browns process in run schemes with enough pass catching ability and pass blocking prowess to stay on the field and provide answers. It was clear they knew how desperate that room was and they wanted Judkins as the answer.
It will be interesting to track in a parallel sense the outcome of the careers of both Judkins and his teammate TreVeyon Henderson who went two picks later to the Patriots. Back in 2018 the Patriots selected Nick Chubb’s teammate Sony Michel late in the first round and then Chubb went at the top of the second. Whether or not the Browns made the correct choice on those teammates will be studied closely. Let’s hope for a repeat outcome in Cleveland’s favor.
Love everything about the pick of Harold Fannin Jr. at 67 and his fit in the tight end room alongside David Njoku. He will but a plus version of Jordan Akins in the passing game and be more able/willing to fit into a diverse set of alignments and tasks. That fit will be a fun Film Room in the coming week.
The sticking point here is Dillon Gabriel. I get it. I don’t love burning pick 94 on the veteran quarterback. He’s undersized, densely shotgun based.The arm is fine and the feel in the pocket is there but I worry about the collective transition and especially find myself concerned at the pick slot — consider a safety in Xavier Watts went the pick directly after. Gabriel has a Case Keenum comp of sorts but that feels like a high-end outcome.
The current regime has tied themselves to Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and now Dillon Gabriel with serious draft capital. All of this while now having an additional first round pick in 2026 to turn up the heat on pursuit of another. Their judgement is under criticism and it is fair.
Despite the uneven outcome of pick 94, the Browns are back on the clock three times today with picks 126, 166, and 192. Three spots with players that can find the 53-man roster.
Let’s do a couple different mock drafts for Day Three to show you some paths they can go.
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