The NFL draft is a huge part of the offseason and Browns GM Andrew Berry made a big move to set team up well
The NFL offseason is pretty much done as mandatory minicamps come to a close and training camp is a month and a half away. There will be a number of moves still, especially and obviously when teams have to get down to their initial 53-man roster, but NFL free agency and the NFL draft are all but complete for the 2025 offseason.
For the Cleveland Browns, the decision to trade down from the second overall selection and the chance to draft Travis Hunter will likely define this offseason. In exchange for Hunter, the Browns acquired DT Mason Graham, RB Quinshon Judkins and a 2026 first-round pick (along with other smaller pieces moved back in forth in the trade) from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, GM Andrew Berry’s bold move is one of the moves noted by a group of coaches, executives and scouts as their “favorite” of the NFL’s 2025 offseason:
As multiple scouts noted, the Browns got their running back of the future, Quinshon Judkins, at No. 36 and can attack a strong 2026 class with two first-round picks, both of which could be early picks due to Cleveland’s and Jacksonville’s states of transition.
“It’s hard to pass on Travis [Hunter] or Abdul [Carter] at 2, but you get a good young defensive tackle [in Mason Graham]. … That’s a position that’s really expensive now, so to get a rookie-scale player there is crucial,” an AFC executive said. “And this is really about 2026. Can they get their quarterback of the future there? They are going to find out.”
Generally speaking, especially in the Browns history, trading down hasn’t worked out. Getting the best players is often the best way for a team to build itself back up but Cleveland’s lack of a long-term quarterback and the need to get more cheap players changed the plan.
In the end, if Graham, Judkins, and whoever they select with the Jaguars first-round pick become the core of an AFC contender, it won’t matter what Hunter does. Otherwise, Berry and the Browns may have another Julio Jones-type player that the fans are always noticing and bringing up.
The ESPN piece also notes Aaron Rodgers signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers as one of the “favorite” moves as well.
Are you surprised that some around the league feel so positively about the Browns trade down? A couple of months removed, what are your thoughts on the Hunter trade at this point?
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