The Cleveland Browns’ offseason feels like a high-stakes poker game. GM Andrew Berry sits at the table, staring down a mountain of cap woes, an aging roster, and a franchise QB whose Achilles tendon has become the NFL’s most expensive cautionary tale. But Berry isn’t folding. Instead, he’s leaning into the draft—armed with the No. 2 pick—to make a splash that could redefine this team’s identity. The twist? His move isn’t about replacing Deshaun Watson. Not yet, anyway.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter dropped some hot news in his 2025 mock draft: The Browns are eyeing Colorado’s Travis Hunter at No. 2. Hunter, the Heisman-winning two-way phenom, isn’t just a playmaker—he seems like a solution made in NFL heaven. For Cleveland, a team starved for explosiveness, this isn’t a luxury pick. It’s a necessity.

Hunter’s 1,258 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024 scream instant impact, something the Browns’ 27th-ranked offense desperately needs. “[He’s] one of the most dynamic playmakers in the draft class,” Owen O’Connor noted. Hence, Cleveland can’t afford to overthink this. Why Hunter over QB?

Simple: The Browns’ roster has more holes than Swiss cheese. Deshaun Watson’s $72.9 million cap hit in 2025 handcuffs their free-agency plans, and they allowed 66 sacks in 2024. Hunter addresses multiple flaws. He’s a WR1 who moonlights as a lockdown corner—a dual threat tailor-made for a team lacking star power. Berry knows QB desperation leads to drafts. Instead, he’s building a foundation. Meanwhile, Watson’s second Achilles tear in three years left Cleveland in QB purgatory.

But reaching for a signal-caller at round 2? Too risky. Instead, Reuter projects Texas’ Quinn Ewers at No. 33. Ewers, once a top QB prospect, threw 31 passing TDs in 2024 but struggled under pressure. It’s a low-cost gamble—one that lets Berry fix bigger issues first.

The Browns are $25.8 million over the cap. Veterans like Joel Bitonio and Jack Conklin could be cap casualties. But Berry’s 2025 draft haul—nine picks, including four in the top 100—offers a lifeline. “We’ll have the resources and we’ll be able to make the adjustments that allow us to continue to build the team and the roster,” Berry said in November.

Translation: Rookies on affordable contracts are this team’s oxygen. Hunter’s versatility? That’s the defibrillator.

The road ahead: patience or pain?

If Quinn Ewers lands in Cleveland, he’ll inherit a mess. The Browns’ QB room—Watson, a rehabbing Jameis Winston, and raw backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson—is a minefield. But Ewers’s arm talent is undeniable.

His 3,472-yard 2024 season at Texas showed flashes of brilliance, even if consistency eluded him. For Berry, betting on potential beats mortgaging the future—again. Meanwhile, Hunter isn’t just a shiny toy. He’s a necessity.

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For a team with seven starters over 30, his youth is a godsend. But cutting Watson? Impossible—$172 million in dead cap says so. Restructuring his deal? Likely. But Berry’s focus is clear: Surround whoever plays QB with talent. Hunter’s arrival buys time.

If Watson returns in mid-2025, he’ll have a weapon he’s never had. If not? The rebuild continues—with more draft capital. Besides, Andrew Berry isn’t chasing quick fixes.

Indeed, by prioritizing Hunter over a QB at No. 2, he’s admitting past mistakes and pivoting toward sustainable growth. The Ewers gamble? A calculated roll of the dice. For Browns fans, it’s a glimmer of hope after years of Watson-fueled chaos. But here’s the million-dollar question: Can a two-way star and a reclamation-project QB revive a franchise stuck in cap hell? Only time—and Berry’s next moves—will tell.