Cleveland Browns 5-round mock draft: Updated projections after free agency for AFC North franchise

The Cleveland Browns have a lot to get done and only one NFL draft to get it done. Armed with the second overall pick and the advantage in most rounds, they have the ammunition to change the trajectory of their franchise.

There's been a lot of pain for Browns fans, but the event at the end of April could turn heads if the team pulls the right moves off. Here's a look at what the Browns could end up with in the 2025 NFL draft.

Cleveland Browns mock draft for 5 rounds in 2025

Sportskeeda's Mock Draft Simulator

#1 - Round 1, Pick 2: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Cam Ward at 2025 NFL Combine - Source: Imagn

The Cleveland Browns need a solution for the future at quarterback. With the Deshaun Watson experiment clearly being a mistake, the team only has the NFL draft to change their future. Shedeur Sanders joins the Titans first and Cam Ward joins the Browns second overall.

Ward threw for 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions at Miami. Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz and Kenny Pickett aside, if Ward is available, one or two of those quarterbacks will likely be on the chopping block in August.

#2 - Round 2, Pick 33: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

Matthew Golden at 2025 NFL Scouting Combine - Source: Getty

The team already has some speed with Jerry Jeudy on the outside, but they need more. They add Matthew Golden out of Texas, a wide receiver who turned heads with his speed at the 2025 NFL Combine. He and Jeudy combine to create one of the speediest wide receiver rooms in the NFL. Golden earned 987 yards in his final college season.

#3 - Round 3, Pick 67: Damien Martinez, RB, Miami

Damien Martinez at 2025 NFL Combine - Source: Imagn

Nick Chubb is out and the Browns need someone to fill the void. They go with Damien Martinez to pair with Cam Ward in a Miami reunion for Cleveland.

The addition adds the potential for chemistry to help take the pressure off Kevin Stefanski and his offensive coordinator to call the perfect play on every single down for the Cleveland Browns. Martinez logged 1,000 yards with two different schools in his college career.

#4 - Round 3, Pick 94: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

TreVeyon Henderson at 2025 Scouting Combine - Source: Getty

The Browns have a franchise that has seen their best seasons come on the back of Nick Chubb. As such, they take another shot at running back to ensure, no matter what, that the void is filled once and for all. Henderson won a championship in his final season, adding some much-needed playoff experience to the squad.

#5 - Round 4, Pick 104: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State

Jayden Higgins at 2025 NFL Combine - Source: Imagn

To complete the offensive overhaul, the Cleveland Browns take Jayden Higgins out of Iowa State. Higgins, a top receiver at the 2025 Senior Bowl, is viewed as a steal in the fourth round, with 980 or more yards in each of his two college seasons. This leaves the Cleveland Browns to go heavy defense in the final three rounds (they have no fifth-round pick in 2025's draft).