Overall, I have to say I liked the trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it's also disappointing to miss Travis Hunter as a standout with the Cleveland Browns.
I think Mason Graham was a top ten player, and I have no issues with his selection, although I'd love to hear how Andrew Berry has changed his philosophy on defensive tackles in just a few years, as in the past (pre-2023), Berry had given very little importance to the position.
Graham was the best defensive tackle in the draft, and while I don't think he will be an Aaron Donald type that dominates games, since he isn't an elite pass rusher up the middle, he will provide some pass rush and shut down the run.
As of now, the trade stands as the Jaguars with Travis Hunter and Bhayshaul Tuten (4th round pick acquired from the Browns, a running back from Virginia Tech) for Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, and whomever the Browns select in next year's draft with the first rounder from Jacksonville.
I'm cautiously optimistic, but it's Andrew Berry making the selections, so I'm not guaranteeing success.
The Browns' selection of UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger to start the second round is polarizing.
In a weak linebacker group, the Browns are looking at the loss of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and with a desperate need for an athletic linebacker who has similarities to JOK, I can see the need for the position.
And if the Browns had Schwesinger as the last linebacker who could make an impact, the pick makes sense.
However, there were superior players available, and Schwesinger only started for one season with the Bruins, although his season was incredibly productive, so there are reasons to wonder about the value of Schwesinger at this pick.
I did like the Browns' second-round choice that they acquired from Jacksonville, Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins.
I would have been happy with either Buckeye running back (Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson), and each has their strong points.
Henderson is the faster and more explosive of the two, Judkins the more powerful and might have the edge as far as an every-down back.
This is another hit, I think, and by the season's end, Judkins will be the Browns' top running back.
The first of their two third-rounders might not make an immediate impact, but could be the long-term tight end in Bowling Green's Harold Fannin.
Fannin never played tight end until reaching Bowling Green, and with his physical skills, could be a strong replacement when David Njoku moves on.
Fannin wasn't only a Group of Five destroyer, as he had big games in Bowling Green's close road losses to Texas A&M and Penn State.
It may not be this year, but I think Fannin will eventually become a starter.
The most controversial selection came near the end of round three with Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Some like Gabriel's arm more than I do; he's older than most rookies (turns 25 before the end of the year), and at 5'11 is undersized.
Reportedly, Gabriel won over the Browns in the interview process (The Ivies have been fooled by this before), and his excellent college record gives him the tag of "winner".
I think Gabriel's ceiling is a long-term backup, and I don't see him as a regular starter in the league.
I'm open to being wrong, but I don't believe so.
In round four, the Browns grabbed another running back, Tennessee's Dylan Sampson. Sampson is a speedy back who can break the big run at any time.
Sampson will hopefully team with Quinshon Judkins to give the Browns two different types of backs and allow the team to impose the running game as the focal point of the offense.
Sampson will supplant Jerome Ford, either this year or definitely in 2026, as the team's speed back who will hopefully emerge as a gamebreaker.
Then the controversy began as the Browns traded with Seattle to move up in the fifth round (they gave their sixth rounder to flip fifth rounders) to grab Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
I liked Sanders entering the draft, but not as an early first-round pick, and I wasn't in favor of a first-round quarterback at all, considering the state of the franchise.
Sanders takes a lot of sacks, and he throws better long than short, but I think he has a chance of being an NFL starter.
I'm not saying Sanders will be a franchise quarterback, but he was worth the low cost of a sixth-round pick to find out.
Overall, this is a draft that I'm pleased with, but a few questions remain.
Did the Browns reach for Carson Schewesinger because the linebackers are a weaker class and, with the likely loss of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, caused them to panic?
Did the Browns once again reach for a smallish quarterback because the Ivy Leagues loved his rap in the interview?
And if they did, how long will Dillon Gabriel receive, and how will their Gabriel obsession affect the chances of Shedeur Sanders?
Will Mason Graham be a destructive force or merely a very good player who excels against the run?
The answers to these questions will come on the field, but for now, my grade is a B+
Until then, it's a year filled with watching and rooting against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
