BEREA, Ohio -- For the past three years, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has spent the first night of the NFL draft biding time.
Cleveland has been without a first-round pick since 2022 after trading a trio of first-rounders to the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson that March. So, that left Stefanski without much to do as the opening round of the draft unfolded.
"I was probably just doing some busy work [last year]," Stefanski said at the league's annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, last month.
That changes Thursday night when the Browns will have a first-rounder for the first time since 2021. And with the No. 2 overall pick, it won't be long until Cleveland is on the clock. The Browns have 10 total picks in this week's draft, tied for the second most in the league, and it's a critical draft for a franchise that not only needs to find a long-term answer at quarterback but replenish an aging roster after a 3-14 season.
"[General manager] Andrew [Berry] understands how important the draft is this year," owner Jimmy Haslam said at the league's meeting. "He's got it and he's got to nail it."
After a lengthy pre-draft circuit that included all-star events, the NFL scouting combine, pro days, top-30 visits and private workouts, the Browns are finalizing their draft board and strategy for the three-day event, which begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET (on ESPN).
Assuming the Tennessee Titans select quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick, Cleveland will have its choice of the second-best quarterback in the draft (Colorado's Shedeur Sanders), the draft's top non-quarterback prospects (Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter), or even trading back to add to its draft capital.
Here's why each move could happen Thursday night:
Shedeur Sanders
The last time the Browns selected a quarterback in the first round of the draft was 2018, when the franchise took Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick. Stefanski and Berry arrived two years later and the current regime has only drafted one passer since then: Dorian Thompson-Robinson. There's not much of a track record to deduce exactly the type of prospect the team would want. Throughout the pre-draft process, Stefanski and Berry have talked about being open to different styles of quarterbacks and the Browns have met with several top draft prospects, from Ward to Alabama's Jalen Milroe.
Stefanski and Berry have often highlighted accuracy and decision-making as cardinal traits for a quarterback which could make Sanders, rated the No. 14 prospect and second-best quarterback by Scouts Inc., a fit for the No. 2 pick. In two seasons at Colorado, the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Sanders ranked first in completion percentage (74%) and his 6.5% off-target rate was the third-lowest mark in the FBS. The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado football coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, Shedeur has met with the Browns multiple times throughout the pre-draft process. He, as well as teammate Hunter, had dinner with a large Cleveland contingent the night before their pro day workout.
"I think he sees the game really well, has been raised the right way," Stefanski said of Sanders at the league meetings. "I think they've done an outstanding job bringing him along in terms of understanding football, but he's a very, very talented young man. But off the field, that is where I'm probably most impressed."
Recent reports suggest Sanders won't be the Browns' selection at two and that Hunter is the favorite to be Cleveland's pick. Scouts have noted that Sanders has a propensity to hold onto the ball too long -- posting an average time of 2.96 seconds before throwing last season, which tied for 110th in the FBS -- and takes too many sacks. His lack of elite physical traits have also caused many to question what his ceiling would be at the next level.
Haslam said the team would not force a quarterback selection at No. 2. So, the decision on Sanders could be dependent on the organization's evaluation of him relative to the other quarterback prospects in the draft. Berry said at his pre-draft news conference earlier this month that he believes there are multiple quarterbacks in the draft with starting potential.
"Obviously if you're taking a guy there, you believe in him to be a guy that can be your franchise quarterback, but we're just looking for a good player that fits us," Stefanski said at the combine.
The Browns have been starved for quality quarterback play, and the value of a good quarterback -- especially on a cost-controlled rookie contract -- outweighs that of any other position. Forty different quarterbacks have started since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999 -- 10 more than the next closest team. And since 2006, the Browns have had eight quarterback seasons with a Total QBR of at least 50, which is tied for third-fewest in the NFL. Getting a capable player under center could vault the team back to playoff contention. This offseason, the Browns have traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for Kenny Pickett and signed Joe Flacco as a free agent. Watson is expected to miss a significant portion of the 2025 season after tearing his Achilles again this offseason.
Selecting Sanders, though, could come at the cost of passing on Hunter and Penn State's Carter -- two players widely regarded as the best prospects in the draft, regardless of position. If the Browns don't select a quarterback at No. 2, they could target the position and a similarly-rated prospect with their second selection (No. 33 overall) or trade back into the first round to get a passer. Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart, Scout Inc.'s No. 28 prospect, Louisville's Tyler Shough (No. 38) and Alabama's Milroe (No. 80) are all potential Day 2 options for Cleveland.
"The biggest thing for us is we want to have long-term players across the roster," Berry said at his pre-draft news conference. "We're not going to necessarily force something if we don't think the value is right or anything along those lines, but we want to be thoughtful and disciplined in our decision-making."
Travis Hunter
Hunter is arguably the top player in this year's draft and his status as a two-way star makes him one of the most unique prospects ever. Hunter, 6-foot and 188 pounds, played 86% of Colorado's offensive snaps and 83% of their defensive snaps last season. His standout year on offense and defense won him not only the Heisman Trophy but the Chuck Bednarik Award (nation's top defender), Biletnikoff Award (nation's top receiver) and the Paul Hornung Award (nation's most versatile player).
While NFL teams deliberate on which position Hunter is best suited to play -- he has said that he wants to play on both sides of the ball as a pro -- Berry said the Browns would primarily use Hunter as a wide receiver.
"His superpower is really his ball skills," Berry said at the combine, "and that's a position where you can use it a hundred times during the season versus maybe 30 on the high end [at corner]."
Hunter could immediately start alongside Jerry Jeudy, the only wide receiver on the Browns' roster who has caught at least 50 passes in a season. Stefanski said Hunter has room to grow as a wideout -- the nuance of his route running has been noted as an area of improvement -- but he could bring more playmaking to an offense that ranked last in scoring in 2024. Hunter's 15 touchdown catches were tied for second most in the FBS and his 27 forced missed tackles on receptions was tied for fourth most.
If the Browns should select Hunter, they've said they are open to him taking snaps on defense in high-leverage moments, such as third downs and red zone plays.
"It's a little bit like [Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani], where when he's playing one side, he's an outstanding player," Berry during his pre-draft news conference. "If he's a pitcher, he's a hitter, he's an outstanding player. You obviously get a unicorn if you use him both ways."
Abdul Carter
Before Hunter emerged as the favorite to be the Browns' pick at No. 2, Carter was reported to be the likely pick. After two seasons as an off-ball linebacker, Carter transitioned to a full-time edge rusher and flourished. He recorded 12 sacks last season and was a unanimous All-American selection. Carter, 6-3 and 259 pounds, did not participate in Penn State's pro day but had dinner with a Browns contingent that included Berry and Haslam.
For years, the Browns have looked to pair All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett with another formidable pass rusher and if they select Carter, they could form a fearsome tandem for years to come. With all the extra attention Garrett faces -- he was double-teamed on 29.1% of his pass rushes as an edge defender last season, the highest rate in the NFL -- the Browns could use another pass rusher to take advantage of 1-on-1 opportunities.
Cleveland has a crowded room at edge defender and has added two players at the position this offseason: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Julian Okwara. However, Cleveland views the defensive front as the engine of its defense and coordinator Jim Schwartz has often spoken of using pass rushers like relief pitchers in baseball, frequently rotating them to keep them fresh.
"He's tough, physical, a rare athlete with outstanding speed," Berry said of Carter at the combine. "He's special in his own regard that he can play off the ball, he can rush the passer. He's an excellent prospect."
Health questions have followed Carter during the draft process after medical tests at the combine revealed a stress reaction in his right foot. Carter bypassed surgery after doctors advised against it and a medical recheck showed that the stress reaction is healing, Carter's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Berry said at the league meetings that he's not concerned about Carter's stress reaction.
"For us, we feel like [it] is not going to be prohibitive of him having a long and successful career," Berry said.
Trade back
The Browns haven't given any indication they are shopping the No. 2 pick, but when asked at the league's annual meeting about the possibility of trading back, Berry said, "We're pretty much open to anything that can be advantageous to us."
ESPN's Peter Schrager reported Tuesday that Cleveland, as well as the New York Giants, who hold the third overall pick, have been fielding trade calls from teams.
Berry has also acknowledged his preference to trade back and acquire picks as opposed to packaging them to move up; his history as a general manager supports that. He has executed one draft-day trade to move up, when he jumped seven spots in the second round of the 2021 draft to select linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
With 10 picks this week, the Browns aren't lacking for draft capital. The team, though, needs instant contributors at multiple positions.
"It would be great if we could get 'the quarterback,' but we're not going to force it. We're going to be patient and we're going to try to accumulate as many real good football players as we can," Haslam said.
Berry has spoken about the value of the second overall pick -- either using it to select a blue-chip prospect or trading it back to attain additional picks. If a team wants to move up to select a quarterback or one of the top non-quarterback prospects, Cleveland could get a significant return that includes multiple picks in Day 2 and Day 3 or 2026 picks.
The Browns, though, could lose out on the opportunity on getting a top-tier prospect if they move back too far. Would the front office be comfortable with bypassing a potential star for more opportunities to get starting-caliber players and contributors later in the draft?
"We're still working through everything," Berry said. "We have not made hard decision in terms of how we're going to utilize the No. 2 pick. There's a number of guys we like."