The Cleveland Browns are one of the worst franchises in the NFL. They have had awful luck at the quarterback position. Cleveland has started 40 quarterbacks since returning to the league in 1999. The latest quarterback to start for the Browns was Bailey Zappe in Week 18 this season.

In the latest mock from our Christian D’Andrea — a top-five mini-mock — he had the Browns taking Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders at quarterback. But in Mel Kiper Jr.’s first mock of the year for ESPN, he had Sanders’ teammate Travis Hunter going to Cleveland and Sanders going to the New York Giants at No. 3.

Mel Kiper, draft expert for ESPN, has the Cleveland Browns passing on a quarterback for arguably the best player in the draft.

Longtime ESPN and college football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has released his first mock draft of the 2025 NFL draft season. In the mock, he has the Browns selecting the reigning Heisman winner.

Let’s make it a Mock Draft Monday. It has been a couple of weeks since the Cleveland Browns ended their season with a 3-14 record. The best thing the Browns had to take away from the season is their draft positioning and finally having a first-round pick again.