Cleveland Browns are playing a dangerous game at No. 2—Cam Ward is off the board

This isn’t a mystery anymore. Cam Ward is going first. The Tennessee Titans have made that clear without saying a word. And now, the Cleveland Browns are left staring at the No. 2 pick, forced to pivot—with pressure mounting from every direction.
We’re a month away from the 2025 NFL Draft, and there’s no clarity on what Cleveland plans to do. They entered the offseason with eyes on Miami’s Cam Ward. They won’t get him. Not unless they overpay, badly. So now what? What’s left are three options—and none are clean.


You can stop speculating now. Cam Ward is not falling to Cleveland. That ship’s already sailed and sunk.
First, ESPN’s Adam Schefter called Ward “the top overall pick” and noted the “sense” around the league was that Cleveland wanted him. Then on Tuesday, he reported that Tennessee is “increasingly impressed with Ward” and not willing to trade the pick unless the offer is massive.
Then came Zac Jackson from The Athletic. He confirmed what everyone suspected. The Titans sent their head coach, GM, team president, and even their in-house media team to Miami’s Pro Day. Not just scouting—documenting. That’s a team planning a draft night show around one name: Cam Ward.
Ward himself said after the workout: “I gave them all [they] needed to see” and “solidified” his No. 1 status. That’s it. The Titans made up their minds.
Cleveland can either move heaven and earth to force their way into that No. 1 slot or accept reality and play smart with No. 2.

No sugarcoating it—this pick is messy now.
1. Draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
It’s an upside play. Sanders has tools. He also has question marks. Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department has him 18th on their board. Taking him at No. 2 is a reach, no matter how you dress it up. The Browns are in win-now mode. Do they really have time to babysit another rookie QB? If he hits, great. If he doesn’t, it’s another wasted cycle.
2. Take the best non-QB on the board: Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter.
Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter is explosive. He’d bolster a defense that already has Myles Garrett. Travis Hunter is the wildcard—he plays both ways and is the kind of gamble you take if you’re betting on raw talent. Both are arguably safer picks than Sanders. They fill needs. They don’t fix the QB problem. But they don’t blow up your draft board either.
3. Trade back and let someone else reach.
This isn’t tanking. It’s leverage. If another team falls for Shedeur Sanders—or gets desperate enough for someone else—Cleveland can slide down, stack picks, and still walk away with a day-one starter. According to Josina Anderson, a source says “Cleveland sounds potentially open to trading back.” Translation: the phones are on. Make an offer.
This isn’t about being indecisive. This is about avoiding a bad decision. For Cleveland, that means not forcing a quarterback pick just to say they took one.