The NFL rumor train is chugging full steam ahead after the scouting combine this past week. Intel has emerged on every team across the league as both free agency and the draft approach.
The Cleveland Browns are one of the major players heading into the latter event with the No. 2 pick at their disposal. Considering EDGE Abdul Carter is widely regarded as the top prospect in the draft, Cleveland may be where the first quarterback of the 2025 class comes off the board.
That's a great position to be in for the Browns, who'd get to choose between Miami's Cam Ward, Colordo's Shedeur Sanders, or any other QB it believes in for the second selection. However, a new rumor involving the No. 1 pick is nightmare fuel for GM Andrew Berry and co.
The #Giants took their big swing on Matt Stafford. That failed. Now multiple sources expect them to concentrate their efforts on getting the No. 1 pick from Tennessee, and pairing the QB they select with a veteran.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) March 2, 2025
That could be Aaron Rodgers, but I'm told the former… pic.twitter.com/7fTYjp9HKn
SNY's Connor Hughes reported on Sunday the New York Giants are expected to "concentrate their efforts" on attaining the No. 1 overall pick via trade after missing out on acquiring Matthew Stafford. Hughes adds New York wants to pair whoever it selects with a veteran like Aaron Rodgers, and the belief is a move up would be for Ward, not Sanders.
This absolutely would throw a wrench in Cleveland's plans for the draft. Instead of having the luxury to sit at No. 2 and allow a QB to fall in their laps, now the Browns legitimately have to worry about the Giants leapfrogging them and taking the signal-caller they want instead.
That would leave Cleveland scrambling with time ticking until the franchise is on the clock. Though Carter may be the NFL's next game-wrecker off of the edge, the Browns already have had one of the league's best in Myles Garrett since 2017, but misses at other key positions have amounted to only one playoff win to show during the Garrett era.
As a result, Cleveland needs to come out of this draft with a franchise QB candidate to really help turn things around. That difficult job becomes even more troublesome, though, if someone like Ward isn't available when the Browns are on the clock.
Berry could always snag a gem in the second or third round a la recent successes like Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott, but the odds of hitting a home run at QB drop off significantly past Day 1.
At the very least Cleveland knows a potential move is in the works now, so it can avoided being blindsided. It remains to be seen if the Browns get aggressive to hold the Giants off from leaping past them, or if they feel comfortable staying at No. 2 no matter who could be taken first.