Andrew Berry’s Cleveland Browns’ 2025 draft haul feels less like a collection of prospects and more like finding a pristine, vintage Browns helmet at a yard sale for five bucks – unexpected, valuable, and dripping with potential. Back in January, Shedeur Sanders (Colorado’s record-setting QB), Mason Graham (Michigan’s wrecking-ball DT), Isaiah Bond (Texas/Bama’s lightning-fast WR), Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State/Ole Miss’s TD machine RB), and Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green’s All-American TE) were universally penciled into mock drafts’ first rounds.

Fast forward to August, and GM Andrew Berry somehow corralled all five talents into the Dawg Pound, albeit via a draft day rollercoaster that saw them scattered across rounds (and, in Bond’s case, undrafted entirely). It’s the kind of coup that makes you wonder if Berry’s analytics department has a crystal ball… or just operates several steps ahead of everyone else.

The journey for Bond, in particular, reads like a hard-hitting NFL Films narrative. Once a projected Day 1 lock after transferring from Alabama (“It was a business decision,” he’d said bluntly about following Nick Saban’s retirement), Bond’s path detoured dramatically after an April arrest in Texas.

While the Collin County grand jury ultimately returned a “no bill,” declining to indict him, the damage was done come draft weekend. Silence. No call. Yet, Berry and the Browns saw beyond the noise, offering a lifeline. Bond’s gratitude was palpable: “First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Cleveland Browns for believing in me and allowing me the opportunity to continue my career in the NFL… I understand that playing in the NFL is a privilege, and I’m thankful every day to live my childhood dream,” he stated.

He firmly maintained his innocence, “from the very beginning I have refuted these allegations and maintained my innocence. I stand firm by that today,” and shifted focus squarely to the field: “My focus now is on football. Learning this offense, building strong relationships with my teammates, and making significant contributions within the Cleveland community. I’m determined to prove the Browns organization and everyone who believes in me right for putting their trust in me.” It’s a second chance with the weight of a first-round expectation still hanging in the humid Berea air.

Andrew Berry’s Dawg Pound’s newest pups are ready to run

While Bond looks to rewrite his narrative, the rest of Berry’s “first-round value” class is already turning heads. Graham, the actual first-rounder (5th overall), is living up to the hype, reportedly manhandling Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller in drills – a welcome sight for a defense needing interior dominance.

Judkins (2nd round, 36th overall), whose 50 career collegiate TDs scream ‘end zone magnet’, brings a blend of power and vision to a backfield hungry for explosive plays, even as Berry cautiously noted his July arrest makes his immediate role “to be determined.” Fannin Jr. (3rd round, 67th overall), BGSU’s first-ever Consensus All-American, is showcasing the hands and route-running that made him an FBS receptions leader, evolving into the multi-dimensional tight end Berry envisioned.

Then there’s Sanders (5th round, 144th), the $6.5-million NIL phenom whose draft slide shocked many, briefly flashed that star power. He torched the Panthers’ backups in the preseason opener (138 yds, 2 TDs), offering a glimpse of the deep-ball artistry that netted him 4,134 yards and 37 TDs at Colorado.

But the NFL, much like The Last Dance reminded us, is about enduring the grind. An oblique injury suffered battling Philly’s fierce D-line in joint practices has him sidelined, a frustrating pause in his underdog story. Berry publicly chided Sanders’ “not smart” offseason speeding incidents, emphasizing accountability – a reminder that raw talent is just the entry fee in Cleveland’s demanding culture.

Berry’s masterstroke wasn’t just identifying five players with first-round talent; it was acquiring them across the draft’s spectrum, navigating risks and seizing value with the calm precision of a surgeon. Graham anchors the trenches. Fannin offers mismatch potential. Judkins promises ground-game thunder.

Sanders, when healthy, possesses undeniable flair. And Bond? He carries the hunger of a man playing with everything to prove. If even three of these “January first-rounders” hit their projected ceilings, the 2025 Browns draft won’t just be good – it’ll be legendary, a testament to finding blue-chip talent where others saw only question marks. The Dawg Pound is buzzing. The pieces, once scattered across mock drafts and uncertainty, are now assembled in orange and brown. The reload, stealthy and profound, is complete. The season can’t start soon enough.