Cleveland Browns 2025 Rookies Report Card: Grading each pick from vaunted draft class

The 2025 season for the Cleveland Browns has come to a close. Following another disappointing year with a 5-12 record, the Browns and owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam decided to relieve head coach Kevin Stefanski of his duties.

However, general manager Andrew Berry has retained his position and will "spearhead" the search for the next head coach of the Browns. Despite the lackluster record over the last couple of seasons, Berry impressed ownership and many others across the league with his 2025 NFL Draft class.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry impressed ownership and the NFL with his 2025 NFL Draft class

Berry kicked things off by trading down from the second overall selection that the Browns initially had following their three-win 2024 season. Berry sent the pick, along with picks 104 and 200, to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for the fourth overall selection, picks 36 and 126 in the 2025 NFL Draft, as well as a 2026 first-round pick.

While the upcoming first-round pick has yet to be made, Berry made the most of the selections that he made in last year's draft, adding numerous dynamic rookies who each had great impacts for the Browns this season.

Breaking down and grading each Cleveland Browns rookie that was selected in the 2025 NFL Draft

Round 1, Pick 5: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Grade: A-

After trading down in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected defensive tackle from Michigan, Mason Graham. While Graham had some ups and downs early on in his rookie campaign, he ultimately came into his own and strung together a solid season for the Browns defense.

For the season, Graham totaled 49 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits, and 4 pass deflections. Graham received an overall 69.0 grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking him 34th of 134 qualified interior defensive linemen. While Graham was rock solid against the run, he began to excel late in the season rushing the passer with 23 of his 36 pressures on the season coming in week 10 and beyond (data according to PFF).

Entering the league as a top-five pick comes with some lofty expectations. Graham wasn't perfect, and there were other players taken after him that could have potentially assisted the Browns a bit more in 2025, but his late surge was indicative of the talent that Graham brings to the table and shows why Andrew Berry was willing to trade down from the second overall pick to select a dynamic defensive lineman.

Round 2, Pick 33: Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA

Grade: A+

You would be hard-pressed to find a "better" pick in the 2025 NFL Draft than the Browns selecting UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger with the first pick of the second round (33rd overall). What was a surprising pick from an analytical front office, the Browns spent an early pick on an off-ball linebacker who immediately became one of the very best in the league.

Schwesinger seemed to be quite literally all over the field for the Browns throughout his rookie season. From his middle linebacker spot, Schwesinger made plays sideline to sideline in the run game, in the backfield both against the run and while rushing the passer, and even deep down the field in pass coverage.

Despite missing the final game of the season, Schwesinger totaled 157 tackles, ranking him 6th in the NFL, according to NFL.com. Additionally, Schwesinger racked up 11 tackles for loss, 9 quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions.

Now that the season has concluded, Schwesinger appears to be the odds-on favorite to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. But even more importantly for the Cleveland Browns, he appears to be the true centerpiece for the defense to build around for years to come. This was an absolute slam dunk, home run, A+ pick for Berry and the Browns.

Round 2, Pick 36: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State

Grade: A-

The Cleveland made former Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins the first back taken in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, two picks ahead of college teammate TreVeyon Henderson, with the 36th overall pick.

After signing late into the preseason and missing Week 1 of the regular season due to some off-the-field concerns, Judkins, quite literally, hit the ground running with a season-high 6.1 yards per carry.

As the season went on, and the offensive line seemed to get more and more riddled with injuries, Judkins became a little less effective on the ground. He had a couple of very impressive games against the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders, with five of his seven touchdowns on the season coming in those two games.

Ultimately, the injury bug caught up to Judkins late in the season, in the team's game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 16, causing him to miss the last two games of his rookie season. Over his 14 games, Judkins totaled 827 rushing yards and 171 receiving yards.

Watching the games and the film, you can see just how valuable Judkins proved to be. It is very evident watching him run that Judkins will fight for every yard and always seems to fall forward at the end of his runs. He is a very patient back who will find the hole and explode through it for a big gain if one opens.

Overall, despite the unconventional start to his career, his up-and-down rookie season, and the ultimate season-ending injury, Judkins showed the Browns that he will be a very valuable piece to build the offense around moving forward.

Round 3, Pick 67: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green

Grade: A

The other young weapon that the Browns offense will look to build around is the local product, Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. After going to high school and college in Ohio, the Browns kept Fannin at home in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Aside from maybe Carson Schwesinger, Fannin has to be the biggest pleasant surprise for the Browns after an incredibly impressive rookie campaign. Opening the season as the "TE2" on the depth chart alongside veteran David Njoku, Fannin made an immediate impact with seven catches in his NFL debut.

Throughout the season, Fannin was a target machine for each quarterback that started for the Browns. As the season went on, and Njoku went out with an injury, Fannin seemed to become more of a focal point of the offense, particularly in the red zone, scoring a touchdown in four of his final five games.

On the season, Fannin totaled 731 yards on 72 catches, 6 receiving touchdowns, and even added a rushing touchdown. Fannin also missed the final game of the regular season, but made it clear that he can be the leading target of the Browns passing attack moving forward, and was an incredible value pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Round 3, Pick 94: Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon

Grade: F

There is no sugar coating it... This may have been the worst pick of the entire 2025 NFL Draft. Dillon Gabriel made clear with his play throughout his rookie season what nearly everyone believed when the pick was made: he was not worth a third-round pick.

Heading into the draft, most evaluators had a late-round grade on the NCAA's all-time career passing touchdown leader. With his size and play-style, few projected him to be more than a career backup in the NFL.

Despite the projections, it appeared that then Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski had an affinity for Gabriel, and after passing on a quarterback with their first four picks, Cleveland made him "their guy" in the third round. The team then gave him first-team reps throughout camp and the preseason, then gave him a crack as the starter in week 5.

Throughout his six starts and other brief appearances, Gabriel graded as 41st of 43 qualified quarterbacks with a grade of 49.0, according to PFF. Further, PFF credited Gabriel with 937 passing yards, 3 "big-time throws", and an average depth of target of 6.4 yards, all placing him 40th of 43 quarterbacks.

That level and style of play were very clear when watching Gabriel. The offense seemed lethargic with no threat of anything down the field. The Browns managed just one win with Gabriel at the helm before an injury sidelined him in favor of another rookie that we will talk about shortly.

While Gabriel's level of play was frustrating enough for Browns fans, three other factors make this a true "F" selection. First is the value. At pick 94, players such as Xavier Watts, Upton Stout, Chimere Dike, and Deone Walker were still on the board. All of those players went within the next 20 picks and have had much greater impacts for their teams in their rookie seasons. Second, Gabriel being taken before the team ultimately selected Shedeur Sanders as well, held him off the field for longer than he likely should have been. Finally, everyone else seemed to know this pick was destined for this sort of grade when it was made except, apparently, the Cleveland Browns.

Round 4, Pick 126: Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee

Grade: C

Doubling up on running back, an interesting strategy in and of itself, the Cleveland Browns added Dylan Sampson from Tennessee. Coming off of an incredible 2024 season for the Volunteers, racking up 1,491 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns, Sampson seemed like he could complete a rookie dynamic duo alongside Judkins.

After dominating on the ground in college, Sampson took on a slightly different role for the Browns at the next level, immediately slotting in as more of a receiving threat in the Cleveland offense. He hauled in all 8 targets he received in Week 1, and continued to be utilized more in the passing game throughout his rookie season, totaling 271 receiving yards to just 175 rushing yards.

When in space, Sampson proved to be very elusive and quite effective. However, between the tackles running, he was not nearly as productive as he was at Tennessee, seeming to struggle a bit with the physicality of the NFL. Despite a slightly lackluster rookie season, Sampson showed some explosion with the ball in his hands and some upside in the passing game, making him a great complement for the tough, downhill runner in Judkins to build around moving forward.

Round 5, Pick 144: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Grade: C

Finally, we get to the star of the show, and of the entire NFL at this point: Shedeur Sanders. The Browns actually traded their remaining picks (pick 166 in the fifth round and pick 192 in the sixth round) to move into the fifth round to select the polarizing quarterback out of Colorado.

After tons of pre-draft hype, at one point being in the conversation to be the first selection of the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders took a tumble on draft weekend, falling all the way to day three and ultimately the fifth round. Cleveland, despite already selecting a quarterback in Dillon Gabriel in the third round, made the move to end his fall.

However, after being selected after Gabriel, it meant that Sanders would be behind him on the depth chart, entering camp and the preseason as "QB4" behind Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Gabriel at that time. Even after the veterans were both traded away, Sanders remained on the bench until an injury sidelined Gabriel.

Once Sanders started in Week 12, he never went back to the bench. Under Sanders throughout the rest of the season, the Browns went 3-4 and ended the season with two victories over division rivals. While Sanders showed some flashes of great potential, he wasn't exactly the reason that they won a few games.

With Gabriel ranked 40th, PFF has Sanders ranked 41st out of 43 qualified quarterbacks with a rating of 44.1. Sanders threw 7 touchdowns in his 7 starts (and one relief appearance against the Baltimore Ravens) while also tossing 10 interceptions. Sanders was sacked 23 times with a league-high 3.3 seconds average time to throw.

Sanders had a rollercoaster rookie campaign. One play, he is making an eye-popping throw that seemingly only a few quarterbacks in the league could make. The next two, he drifts back in the pocket and takes a deep sack, and then makes a terrible read and decision with the ball and throws a puzzling interception.

Despite the struggles at times, as a fifth-round pick, Sanders still has the potential to prove to be a worthy investment for Cleveland. After leading the team to multiple wins to close out the season, knocking the team out of the top-five picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Sanders may have earned himself another shot to earn the starting job moving forward.