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The Cleveland Browns earned the second overall pick in the 2025 draft after going 3-14 last season. The team has an array of needs on both sides of the ball including quarterback, continuing Cleveland’s perennial search for a signal caller. The 2025 daft class is considered weaker at the quarterback position than in previous years. Still, NFL insider Adam Schefter is confident the Browns will take a QB with their first-round pick.
The NFL Combine offers Cleveland an opportunity to assess the group. And for Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski, the biggest key in his evaluation of young quarterbacks is decision making, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on X.
Stefanski met with multiple quarterbacks in Indianapolis, including a sit down with Shedeur Sanders on Wednesday. The Browns coach called Colorado’s standout QB “impressive.”
But was Sanders impressive enough to take second overall? Reviews of the top two quarterbacks available in the upcoming draft have been mixed. Some favor Ward while others give the advantage to Sanders. At least one NFL talent scout doesn’t view either QB as a first-rounder.
Of course, both Ward and Sanders will be drafted in the first round based on the unparalleled importance placed on the position. Jaxson Dart will likely go in the first as well, due to an overall lack of passing talent in this year’s draft class.
The general consensus is that Ward likely has the higher ceiling but Sanders is the more pro-ready quarterback. And Ward loses points for issues with his decision making. If that is the primary quality Stefanski values in signal callers, Sanders might be his guy.
However, that’s assuming the Browns take a quarterback with the second pick. Cleveland could end up passing on a passer in the first round, opting instead for Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter.
Multiple teams have expressed interest in moving up in the draft as the Tennessee Titans, who own the first overall selection, have fielded numerous calls about the pick. Sanders won’t throw at the Combine, choosing instead to wait for his Pro Day to demonstrate his passing ability. Ward is also unlikely to throw, so the evaluation process for the moment will be limited to in-person interviews.
Should the Browns decide to trade back in the draft, the team could make a run at a veteran quarterback. Cleveland is reportedly one of several teams interested in pursuing a trade for Matthew Stafford, who likely passes Stefanski’s decision-making evaluation.
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