The Athletic

Mock drafts are difficult. They’re mostly about creating discussion and providing general analysis — unless I get a couple of the Cleveland Browns’ picks right, in which case I’ll relentlessly victory lap and constantly write about the importance of mock drafts. With 10 weeks until the start of the draft and the Browns’ return to the first round for the first time since 2021, it’s an important time for a franchise that was operating like it had arrived but crashed hard in 2024. With the Deshaun Watson experiment having failed miserably but continuing to chew up valuable salary-cap space, 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett has requested a trade in the wake of a 3-14 season. The Browns don’t want to accommodate Garrett’s trade request, but I’ve been writing (and guessing) that they’ll have to at some point. An uncertain future is here, and Garrett has publicly and firmly stated that he doesn’t believe the Browns are ready to win in 2025, which will be his ninth NFL season. Even as the Browns resist the idea of moving Garrett, they’re taking calls — and are probably positioned to at least ask for two first-round picks as part of a potential return.