As the first week of Cleveland Browns training camp comes to a close at The Greenbrier, is there a better time for a 2025 NFL mock draft? With tons of great players still on the board when the Browns are picking, like LSU right tackle Emery Jones, general manager Andrew Berry has an excellent chance to continue to add exceptional young talent to the roster.
Draft needs are already becoming evident as well, which we will cover before we dive in. Taking a look at contract years, injuries, and performance of some of the veterans of the roster will shine a light on how the Browns might attack the 2025 NFL Draft next Spring.
Using PFF’s mock draft simulator, the Browns are slated to pick with the No. 17 pick in the first round. These pick slots are generally based on betting odds to start the season before the games are played, but the hope is the Browns pick even later in the first round (preferably with the 32nd overall pick). What kind of haul can the Browns come away with in this mock draft?
Sep 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) is taken from the field on a cart after suffering an apparent injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
- Running back: Nick Chubb is in the last year of his contract, and while we all hope he bounces back, excels, and gets a new deal, the reality of running backs who are 30 and over is not promising. Chubb deserves the right to prove he is an exception, but the depth behind him (should he bounce back) has not proven to be capable in his absence to this point.
- Wide receiver: Amari Cooper is also in the last year of his deal, so the Browns have to potentially prepare for life after their WR1 of the past two seasons. Behind him, the Browns have Jerry Jeudy locked down long-term with Cedric Tillman under contract for two more seasons. But that simply is not good enough.
- Tight End: The room is barren beyond David Njoku.
- Offensive tackle: Outside of Dawand Jones, the only tackle with starting experience under contract beyond 2024 is Jack Conklin (who has a litany of injuries to his name and has openly contemplated retirement). Jedrick Wills and James Hudson III are both set for free agency in 2025, with neither giving the Browns much reason to give them a new contract at this point.
- Safety: There is an out in the contract of Juan Thornhill if he struggles to stay on the field again in 2024 and Rodney McLeod is set to retire after the season. This leaves Grant Delpit, who signed a long-term deal last year, and undrafted free agent Ronnie Hickman as the only two safeties potentially back in 2025.
Sep 30, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; LSU Tigers offensive linemen Emery Jones Jr. (50) lines up prior to the snap during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Emery Jones is the best tackle on LSU’s roster and in the 2025 NFL Draft by my eyes. Will Campbell gets all of the love, but it is Jones who has the higher athletic ceiling, absurd core strength to drop his anchor in virtually any situation, and who has the optimal length to handle NFL pass rushers. If he is on the board with pick No. 17 and the Browns aren’t picking that early by next Spring, then a move up the board to get here would be encouraged.
Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart makes a catch during practice with the Ducks Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore.
Did somebody say speed? After transferring from Texas A&M, where Evan Stewart racked up over 1,100 yards and six touchdowns over the last two years, he will look to make a massive splash at Oregon. He has lethal vertical speed to take the top off of the defense, a role the Browns are desperately missing in their wide receiver room. Can he develop his overall game at Oregon, however?
Nov 18, 2023; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Damien Martinez (6) celebrates a touchdown with offensive lineman Tanner Miller (61) during the first half against the Washington Huskies at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports
Damien Martinez is an exceptional running back as he makes the trek from Oregon State to Miami after the Beavers failed to land in a Power Four conference due to realignment. Entering his junior season, Martinez is coming off of a season where he racked up over 1,100 yards on the ground and found paydirt nine times. Seeing how the running backs performed in Cleveland a year ago when Nick Chubb went down, there is a definite void to fill, and potentially a massive one in 2025.
Aug 26, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Cleveland Browns helmet during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s put a bow on this mock draft:
- LSU OT Emery Jones: While he plays right tackle at LSU, Jones has the athletic prowess to kick over to left tackle if Jedrick Wills is not back in 2025. Or, if Dawand Jones kicks over to left tackle then Jones can slide right in at right tackle and start right away.
- Oregon WR Evan Stewart: I have some worries about this fit, another thinner wideout with burners, but if Cedric Tillman can take a step forward as the X possession receiver, or if the Browns can find a way to bring Amari Cooper back, then Evan Stewart fits such a seamless and evident need on the Browns’ roster and in their wide receiver room.
- Miami RB Damien Martinez: Jerome Ford enters year three of a four-year deal with much to prove. The hope is that Chubb is brought back beyond 2024, but we live in a reality where that is not a guarantee. Even if Chubb is brought back, a significant change may be needed in the running back room. Martinez is that dude.
