{"id":9782,"date":"2025-04-29T13:07:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/9782\/"},"modified":"2025-04-29T13:07:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:07:11","slug":"what-i-learned-about-browns-2025-nfl-draft-plans-during-my-pro-day-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/9782\/","title":{"rendered":"What I learned about Browns\u2019 2025 NFL Draft plans during my pro day tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here is some of what I saw, heard and learned from NFL scouts<\/a> and executives during my tour of select pro day workouts in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

The NFL Draft<\/a> begins April 24. The Cleveland Browns have four picks on the first two days<\/a>, at Nos. 2, 33, 67 and 94.<\/p>\n

Private workouts kept Browns busy<\/p>\n

The Browns concluded their tour of quarterbacks and top prospects last weekend. Though the visits were all slightly different, the team held private workouts with quarterbacks Cam Ward of Miami, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss, Tyler Shough of Louisville and Jalen Milroe of Alabama<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Those visits included team ownership and key football staffers having dinner with each player and, in most cases, the prospect\u2019s family. The team also had dinner and meetings with Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter and Colorado wide receiver\/cornerback Travis Hunter, the latter with Sanders and his family also in attendance.<\/p>\n

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski didn\u2019t attend the dinner with Carter because he was in Mississippi for Dart\u2019s pro day, but he and Carter are from Philadelphia and talked during Carter\u2019s early March visit to Cleveland. Carter, Hunter and Sanders took their formal pre-draft visits to Cleveland on the same day.<\/p>\n

At last week\u2019s NFL annual league meeting, Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry talked about the quarterbacks<\/a> \u2014 and Hunter \u2014 on the record. Not surprisingly, they gave praise without offering many clues about the team\u2019s true feelings or intentions. The Browns prefer private workouts with quarterbacks over attending pro days because they feel it\u2019s less scripted and can be shaped more to what the team\u2019s decision-makers want to see from the player in person.<\/p>\n

Though no single workout or meeting is likely to affect the team\u2019s final decision, the Browns \u2014 publicly and privately \u2014 have said they went into late March with no final draft determinations made. I believe that\u2019s true, and I believe with the assumption that Ward is going No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans, the Browns are using their final round of draft meetings to decide whether they\u2019ll use pick No. 2 on Carter or Hunter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Travis Hunter, who ran routes in front of NFL personnel at Colorado\u2019s pro day, is viewed by many as the most talented prospect in the draft. (Michael Ciaglo \/ Imagn Images)Browns could wait until Day 2 to draft a QB<\/p>\n

So, where do the Browns get their quarterback? Probably at No. 33, the first pick of the second round. But there\u2019s a chance they might trade back into the first round to ensure they get their guy and potentially get the extra year of team control via the fifth-year option that\u2019s only available for opening-round selections.<\/p>\n

The Browns won\u2019t share how they prioritize or evaluate the quarterback prospects, but their meetings indicate there\u2019s a short list of real options. After the New Orleans Saints at No. 9, potential (but not necessarily likely) quarterback landing spots include the Seattle Seahawks at No. 18, the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 and the Los Angeles Rams at No. 26.<\/p>\n

If the Browns \u2014 or New York Giants, who hold picks No. 3 and 34 \u2014 want to trade back into the first round to take Sanders or Dart, they\u2019d likely be trying to get in front of one of those teams. The Giants could trade into one of the final spots of the first round to get ahead of Cleveland\u2019s second-round pick.<\/p>\n

One high-ranking AFC scout said there\u2019s \u201creal chatter\u201d that Dart could go ahead of Sanders, but executives used the terms \u201cunpredictable\u201d and \u201call over the place\u201d in describing the quarterback forecast for April 24-25. Milroe got invited to attend the draft, which was surprising because multiple scouts view him as more of a late second- or even third-round pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, even now just two weeks out, I think everybody has a different opinion of these guys,\u201d the AFC scout said. \u201cFour (quarterbacks) could go in the first round, or the Browns could even pick a lineman in the second round and wait longer on a quarterback. There are a bunch of different ways it can go depending on how teams really feel about these quarterbacks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Titans appear sold on Cam Ward<\/p>\n

After one especially impressive throw during Ward\u2019s pro day March 24, he pointed to Titans team president Chad Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi on the nearby sideline. After the workout, Ward told reporters he\u2019d set out to \u201csolidify\u201d his status as the top pick<\/a> with the Titans.<\/p>\n

It probably wasn\u2019t just that day, and it certainly wasn\u2019t with one throw. But Ward, per league sources who have interviewed and tracked him as part of the pre-draft process, has impressed with his maturity and steady improvement over five college seasons, leaving interested teams with the belief that he\u2019ll continue to ascend.<\/p>\n

The Titans showed up with all their key personnel staffers and offensive coaches to Ward\u2019s pro day, knowing he would also hold a private workout for them later \u2014 and for other teams, too. The Browns contingent met with Ward and conducted their private workout two days after his pro day.<\/p>\n

When the Titans canceled their private workouts with Hunter and Sanders, that sort of unofficially acknowledged that Tennessee is set with Ward at No. 1<\/a>. Multiple league sources believe the Browns and Giants had been working under that assumption for weeks.<\/p>\n

Few know for sure whether the Titans were willing to entertain offers for the No. 1 pick \u2014 or whether the asking price was too high for a trade to become realistic. The Titans seemed to put out feelers that they\u2019d be open to discussions, but they also haven\u2019t hidden their interest in Ward or their belief that he\u2019s the kind of culture-changer the folks in charge think the organization needs.<\/p>\n

Uncertainty in late first, early second round<\/p>\n

The unpredictability in the range of picks 20-40 in this draft includes more than just the quarterbacks. Through various conversations, Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell kept coming up \u2014 not because he\u2019s a likely Browns target, but because Campbell\u2019s status plays a big part in how the final 10 or so picks of the first round will play out.<\/p>\n

Campbell is recovering from shoulder surgery. Some teams wouldn\u2019t prioritize an off-ball linebacker in the first round, even if that player was healthy and highly regarded, and Campbell is expected to rank as a top-15-type talent for most teams.<\/p>\n

In multiple conversations, scouts and executives also said they\u2019re interested to see whether teams prioritize offensive or defensive tackle late in the first round or are willing to take guards or linebackers. The prevailing opinion is that this draft is especially deep in the defensive line and running back groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith defensive linemen, it\u2019s always a little bit of, \u2018What\u2019s your flavor, what body type and style of player are you looking for?\u2019\u201d one executive said. \u201cBut this year, with so many of them, it\u2019s really about how many teams truly love one and (would) take him at the end of the first round, or are willing to wait because of the depth of the group. That\u2019s what everybody\u2019s waiting to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ohio State prospects galore<\/p>\n

Ohio State\u2019s pro day March 26 was attended by more than 140 NFL coaches, scouts and executives. The national champion Buckeyes have as many as 15 potential draftees, including a large group of potential first- and second-round picks that includes defensive linemen JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Tyleik Williams; running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins; offensive linemen Josh Simmons and Donovan Jackson; and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.<\/p>\n

One longtime scout told The Athletic that he views Egbuka and Henderson as \u201creally good second-round picks \u2026 would be surprised but not totally shocked if they went in the first.\u201d He said Jackson, who played guard and tackle, is a \u201cborderline\u201d first-round pick depending on how teams view his best position. Simmons is recovering from a knee injury that ended his season in October and caused Jackson to move from guard to left tackle.<\/p>\n

Opinions seem to vary on Simmons, and his injury situation further complicates his status. Simmons participated in a short workout at Ohio State\u2019s pro day.<\/p>\n

Another scout said neither Henderson nor Judkins would go in the first round, \u201cbut they\u2019re both going in the second, and they\u2019re both going to be good right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

How high will Will Howard go?<\/p>\n

After his pro day workout, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard<\/a> said he had a scheduled visit to Las Vegas with the Raiders, where Chip Kelly is the offensive coordinator after serving in that same role for Ohio State and working with Howard last season. Howard also said he still had other visits and private workouts lined up, but he didn\u2019t share details.<\/p>\n

From the scouts and personnel people I spoke with, Howard is an interesting player who\u2019s impressed in interviews and with his football acumen. But there are concerns about his arm strength and consistency, and the feeling is that Howard is in the third tier of quarterbacks in this class. He might go in the third round, but he also might have to wait until Day 3 to hear his name called.<\/p>\n

Some buzz around Kurtis Rourke\u2019s potential<\/p>\n

In surveying NFL folks about the rest of the quarterback class, I found some fans of Indiana\u2019s Kurtis Rourke. I came across a few fans of Notre Dame\u2019s Riley Leonard as an athletic developmental prospect. I also encountered some evaluators who believe Syracuse\u2019s Kyle McCord is trending upward and has starter potential.<\/p>\n

But Rourke is a name I kept hearing, specifically that there was the belief that a strong postseason showing in the all-star game and workout circuit would have given him a chance to play his way into the third or fourth round had he been able to participate. Rourke played through a torn right ACL in helping Indiana to an 11-win season and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.<\/p>\n

The injury occurred in August but wasn\u2019t discovered until after the season. Rourke suffered the same injury in 2022 when he played at Ohio University, so his history plus the likelihood that he\u2019d miss all of rookie training camp \u2014 and potentially his entire rookie season \u2014 means Rourke won\u2019t be picked until the draft\u2019s final day.<\/p>\n

No Abdul Carter workout, Travis Hunter showcases route-running skills<\/p>\n

Carter did not participate in Penn State\u2019s pro day<\/a> as he\u2019s still recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered Dec. 31 (but played through) in the College Football Playoff and a hamstring strain he suffered during pre-draft training. Hunter ran routes and caught passes from Sanders at Colorado\u2019s pro day<\/a> last week but did not participate in any other testing.<\/p>\n

According to multiple league sources, as long as Carter\u2019s combine medical recheck produces no red flags, the Browns are not concerned about any further testing or workouts from him or Hunter. The study of both players has been extensive, and the team has done enough research to know just about everything it needs to with decision time looming.<\/p>\n

(Top photo of Abdul Carter: Mark J. Rebilas \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here is some of what I saw, heard and learned from NFL scouts and executives during my tour…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9783,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2054],"tags":[86,85,54,2337,59,7,2972,6,69,2743,394],"class_list":{"0":"post-9782","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cleveland-browns","8":"tag-browns","9":"tag-cleveland","10":"tag-cleveland-browns","11":"tag-clevelandbrowns","12":"tag-colorado-buffaloes","13":"tag-football","14":"tag-miami-hurricanes","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-ohio-state-buckeyes","17":"tag-penn-state-nittany-lions","18":"tag-tennessee-titans"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114421408954119891","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}