It's still early, but Cam Ward of the U. is the No. 1 quarterback prospect the Browns should evaluating to be their future QB.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Second thoughts on Browns’ 29-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens …
Jameis Winston was excellent against the Ravens and earned the right to take the driver’s seat of this Browns’ season.
Whether Winston takes the Browns on a magic carpet ride, a la Joe Flacco, or eventually gives way to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, it’s imperative the Browns don’t lose sight of the No. 1 offseason objective – to comprehensively scout the college football landscape and select the next quarterback hope.
They simply can’t screw it up again.
The first step in exorcising the Deshaun Watson nightmare is to identify a quarterback in the draft and develop him under his rookie contract. If they bulls-eye the quarterback pick, they’ll have three years to make the necessary roster adjustments during the toxic Watson dead-cap clean-up.
The problem is the coming QB draft class is muddled. There is no clear, gotta-have-him, No. 1 quarterback. Or a No. 2, or a No. 3, for that matter.
“At this time last year, we knew Caleb Williams would be a top 3 pick, knew Drake Maye would be a top 3 pick, and Jayden Daniels was ascending into that top 10 picture,” said Dane Brugler, pre-eminent draft analyst of The Athletic. “We had quarterbacks that screamed top 10 picks. This year we don’t necessarily have that. Now, this isn’t the Kenny Pickett 2022 draft class. It’s not that bad. But there are a lot more questions than answers at this point.
“It’s the middle of the [college] season, and these things can change so quickly. All it takes is one amazing game in a big moment and that can sell a scout, sell a team [on a quarterback prospect]. I’ve talked to plenty of scouts and they all agree, there’s not one that screams top 10.
“There’s plenty of guys in this draft easy to like, but not any that are easy to love.”
Wherever the Browns land in the first-round draft order – after paying the Houston Texans a ridiculous ransom of three first-round picks (and three other picks) for Watson – they have to determine the best quarterback from among these seven players.
Brugler said evaluating this quarterback class is a fluid process. Currently, he has two at the top.
1. Cam Ward, Miami, 22, 6-2 and 223 pounds
“There’s reason to be excited and optimistic about Cam Ward,” Brugler said. “The stats look great. It’d be nice if the [Atlantic Coast Conference] played better defense to get a better sense for how he can handle some things. The big thing about Cam is negative plays. He has way too many sacks, too many turnover-worthy plays. That’s why he was a fourth-round pick coming into this season. That’s still part of his game. That’s what’s holding him back from being a slam-dunk first-round pick. Things about his game get you excited -- arm talent, elusiveness. But can you cut down on his negative plays? That’s something teams will be asking till the end.”
2. Shadeur Sanders, 22, Colorado, 6-2, 215
“He’s accurate, he’s poised,” Brugler said. “Doesn’t have the physical traits that a lot of teams look for. But he‘s not Bryce Young small. The arm is more B than A. Can he overcome the average physical traits with his accuracy and poise? The biggest thing for him is can he operate in the pocket. His pocket movements are all over the place. And same thing with the Big 12 Conference. They don’t play a lot of defense. Watch his games against Nebraska and Kansas State and it’s a very uneven performance.
“These two guys are good players but they don’t scream top 10 picks.”
The next wave:
3. Carson Beck, Georgia, 21, 6-4, 220
“What he’s put on tape this year does not look like first round tape,” Brugler said. “There’s things to like about him, but does he have a distinguishing tape that separates him? What is the main selling point for why he is going to be an impact NFL starter? What you’re selling is he’s good across the board. Good size, good arm, he can be accurate. But there’s not that one thing that you can latch onto.
“Watching him last year, his first year as starter, he got better and better every game. You thought that might continue this year, but without Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, he’s struggling to put the team on his back and putting the ball in harm’s way more. Over his first 17 starts at Georgia, he had zero multi-interception games. Over his last four starts, he’s had three multi-interception games. So he’s pressing a lot. Last year, you saw a guy get better and better. This year, he’s pressing and he doesn’t look like the same quarterback.”
4. Quinn Ewers, Texas, 21, 6-2, 210
“You watch the Michigan game earlier this year and you say that’s a guy we can win with, maybe take in the first round,” Brugler said. “The rest of season’s been very uneven. Part of that is the [oblique] muscle strain. It has to be still affecting him. But that’s the question mark. He’s been banged up quite a bit.
“Not a great athlete. Can he hold up physically on the next level? He’s a guy scouts will be watching very closely to finish it out.”
5. Garrett Nussmeier, Louisiana State, 22, 6-2, 200
“Last week, I did a podcast and I said he’s the guy I feel most comfortable with,” Brugler said. “During the first half against Texas A&M, it looked like it. The second half, he didn’t.
“He has single-digit starts (five total). You saw it in the second half, where he was pressing. LSU had no run game and the offensive line looked pretty bad against A&M. He didn’t get a lot of help, but you can’t turn the ball over like that (three interceptions in the second half).”
6. Jalen Milroe, Alabama, 21, 6-2, 220
“With Milroe, you have to change your offense like the Eagles did with Jalen Hurts,” Brugler said. “He’s got a lot of Hurts [in his game], but he’s a much better athlete. You have to change the way you operate. His strengths are a little bit different.”
7. Drew Allar, Penn State, 20, 6-5, 243
“He has a big stage Saturday vs. Ohio State,” Brugler said. “He’s another junior that’ll have a big decision to make [on whether to come out in the draft]. He probably has the best prototype size.”
The homestretch
Brugler said that while no quarterback has separated as the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft, there is still time for that to happen.
“One of the things with this 12-team [college football] playoff, it’s going to change things for prospects,” he said. “What if Michael Penix doesn’t have that big-time performance against Texas [last year]? Does he go top 10?
“With 12 teams, it’s going to give guys more opportunity. If Carson Beck has a standout performance in the playoffs … if Quinn Ewers does it … that can change things.
“Right now, they’re outside of the first round and looking in. But with plenty of big stages coming up, it can absolutely change the narrative.”
The bottom line about this quarterback class is that the best organizations will prevail. Will the Browns select the next Josh Allen or the next Zach Wilson?