The Cleveland Browns’ 2025 draft class is starting to look like one of the more intriguing storylines of the season - and not just because of who they picked, but where they didn’t.
Let’s start with the good. Mason Graham, taken at No. 5 overall, is beginning to justify the pick - and then some.
After a quiet start to the year, the rookie defensive tackle has turned it on in recent weeks, racking up 16 pressures over his last four games. That kind of interior disruption is exactly what Cleveland needed, and Graham is climbing the ranks fast, now sitting at No. 29 in Pro Football Focus’ overall defensive tackle ratings.
Not bad for a guy who came with bonus draft capital, including Jacksonville’s 2026 first-rounder.
But Graham isn’t the only rookie making noise in Cleveland. Carson Schwesinger is looking every bit the part of a franchise middle linebacker, already over 100 tackles through 12 games.
He’s flying to the ball, diagnosing plays like a vet, and giving the Browns a real presence in the middle of the field. On the offensive side, Quinshon Judkins is leading all rookie backs in rushing yards and is on pace for a 1,000-yard season - a strong return on investment no matter where you draft a running back.
Then there’s tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who might just be the steal of the draft. Taken in the third round, Fannin leads the Browns in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
That’s not a typo - a rookie tight end is leading the team in all three major receiving categories. That’s rare air, and it speaks volumes about both his talent and the state of the Browns’ passing attack.
But for all the early returns, this draft class isn’t without its head-scratchers. General manager Andrew Berry doubled up at both quarterback and running back, yet waited until pick No. 94 to take his first quarterback in Dillon Gabriel. That approach is starting to show some cracks.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed this week that the team will continue to take it week-to-week at quarterback, with Shedeur Sanders remaining the starter for now. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of long-term stability, and it underscores the uncertainty that’s plagued the position since the offseason. Dylan Sampson, the other rookie running back, has shown some juice as a third-down option, but the bigger issue is what the Browns didn’t do - invest in their offensive line.
That’s where things get dicey.
Cleveland entered the season with four starting offensive linemen on the wrong side of 30 - Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, and Jack Conklin - all of whom are set to hit free agency in 2026. That’s not just a short-term concern; it’s a looming rebuild. And yet, the Browns didn’t draft a single offensive lineman.
Now, with injuries piling up, that decision is coming back to haunt them. Conklin exited Sunday’s loss to the 49ers with his second concussion of the season.
Teller is nursing a calf injury. Stefanski said the team is preparing to roll with Teven Jenkins at right guard.
It’s a patchwork unit, and the cracks are starting to show.
Through their first seven games, the Browns used a different offensive line combination each week - a carousel that finally slowed when they traded for left tackle Cam Robinson from Houston. But even that move was more about plugging holes than building for the future.
The reality is, this offensive line is trending toward a full-scale rebuild in 2026. And while the Browns have the draft picks to pull it off - thanks in part to the Graham trade - it’s a tall task to overhaul the trenches in one offseason.
Just ask Mike Vrabel, who did something similar in New England this year, inserting four new starters, including rookies at left tackle and left guard. But Vrabel inherited a mess.
Berry helped create this one.
That’s the rub. The Browns made some savvy draft moves in 2025 - Graham, Schwesinger, Judkins, and Fannin are already paying dividends.
But when it came to the offensive line, they bet on aging veterans and rolled the dice on continuity. So far, the gamble isn’t paying off.
With a quarterback situation still in flux and a line held together by duct tape and hope, the Browns are feeling the effects of a draft that hit on talent but missed on balance. The good news?
They’ve got time - and draft capital - to fix it. But the clock’s ticking, and 2026 is shaping up to be a defining offseason in Cleveland.