Mel Kiper Jr. Explains Browns' Cam Ward-Shedeur Sanders Decision In Latest Mock

Long-time NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Cleveland Browns are going to go with a quarterback at No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Which quarterback, though? The Browns do have a tough decision to make.

Apr 25, 2009; New York, NY, USA; ESPN draft personality Mel Kiper Jr during the 2009 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-Imagn Images | Howard Smith-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns have a big decision to make in the 2025 NFL Draft, and many draft experts seem to believe their decision will come down to one of two quarterbacks. The Browns are quarterback-needy, without a doubt, and they currently possess the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

As such, they likely have a decision on their hands between Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders — who is Deion Sanders' son — or Miami quarterback Cam Ward. If the Browns want to go with a quarterback, most consider Sanders and Ward the two best options in this draft.

There are pros and cons for both quarterbacks, as there is in any draft, but long-time NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Browns are going to see more pros in Ward. He has Cleveland selecting Ward at No. 2, even though he personally believes that Sanders is QB1 on his big board.

The reason he sees Browns General Manager Andrew Berry making the plunge with the Miami quarterback? The league as a whole is higher on Ward than it is Sanders, which means the Browns would be going with the consensus wisdom in this case.

"I have Sanders ranked slightly ahead of Ward in my own rankings, but mock drafts are supposed to represent what the league thinks and what is likely to happen. And right now, Ward is the consensus QB1 in the class," Kiper wrote in his second mock draft. "He can make tough throws from different arm angles, on the move and under duress. His creativity in and out of the pocket and his arm strength are impressive, leading to 39 touchdown passes in his final college season."

One has to wonder if the circus that would undoubtedly come along with having "Coach Prime" attached to the Browns also have them preferring Ward. The younger Sanders is a talented and explosive quarterback who has proven capable of handling the pressure, but this is the franchise that has dealt with drama at quarterback in Johnny Manziel and Deshaun Watson in recent memory.

Not only is Ward the safer pick in that regard, but he's apparently also the most NFL ready as well — at least in the eyes of the rest of the league.