How did the national media view the Browns work on Day 2 of the draft?

The Cleveland Browns were busy Friday night during Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Cleveland opened its account with the selection of UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger and closed their evening by selecting Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. In between, they added to the offense with Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins and Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr.

The Judkins pick was a hit with fans, and picking Fannin was mostly applauded. There were some raised eyebrows about Schwesinger, especially with so many other players still on the board at positions of need. As for the Gabriel pick, the less said at the moment may be the way to go.

Let’s take a run through what some of the national media had to say about the work that general manager Andrew Berry did on Friday night.

PFF:

Carson Schwesinger - Average: After moving back to select Mason Graham in Round 1, Cleveland selected another defender at the top of Round 2 in Schwesinger. The UCLA linebacker is a high-end athlete who was the highest-graded blitzer in the draft class at the position (90.0 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2024). The Browns continue to add talented players into the middle of their defense, which was already their projected strength heading into 2025.

Quinshon Judkins - Below Average: The Browns were getting linked to the other Ohio State running back, TreVeyon Henderson, at the top of the second round, but instead, they took his running mate four picks later. Judkins is a powerful north-south runner with good contact balance and tackle-breaking ability, coming off a 2024 season where he earned a 90.0 PFF rushing grade and broke 43 tackles on 193 carries.

Harold Fannin Jr. - Below Average: Fannin was ridiculously productive in 2024 — he just gets open and churns out yards after the catch. The Bowling Green product earned a 95.9 PFF grade last season, the best mark among all tight ends in this class.

Dillon Gabriel - Below Average: Despite being a significant size outlier (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) for an NFL quarterback, Gabriel started at three schools over six college seasons. He managed to secure 80.0-plus PFF passing grades in five of those seasons. Gabriel now joins a quarterback room with Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco.

Chad Reuter at NFL.com: B+

Carson Schwesinger will be a leader and secure tackler for the Browns’ defense. I had several other available players rated more highly, but in a weak linebacker class, I can’t argue much with the decision. Clearly, the Browns wanted a power back with an open-field burst, picking Quinshon Judkins over his Ohio State teammate TreVeyon Henderson. Harold Fannin Jr. is not an elite athlete, but the nation’s leading receiver last fall has a chance to be a nice safety valve. Cleveland added Dillon Gabriel with the third-round pick it acquired from Buffalo in the Amari Cooper trade. I thought he was a top-120 value as an experienced quarterback who throws a catchable, tight spiral.

Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman at The Athletic:

Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA: The Browns are throwing their best punch on defense, teaming Schwesinger with first-round defensive tackle Mason Graham. Schwesinger began his career as a walk-on and finished it as one of the Big Ten’s most respected defenders — he had 136 tackles last year at UCLA and has elite instincts and character. Grade: A-minus

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State: This certainly fills a need for the Browns, and Judkins won’t have to travel far from where he finished his college career. A much better gap runner than former teammate TreVeyon Henderson, Judkins is a physical hammer with great burst and vision between the tackles. Grade: B-plus

Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green: One of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in NCAA history, Fannin hauled in 117 balls for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. He was just as productive against Power 4 teams as he was against MAC competition, too. Fannin and David Njoku should make for a nice combination. Grade: A

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: Gabriel was a productive college player, but this one is a real stretch. Shedeur Sanders was a better player than Gabriel in college, and I’m not sure it was particularly close. Sanders will have a chance to earn a starting job at some point in his career. Gabriel, a 5-11 quarterback with middling arm strength, will have a difficult time finding that same opportunity. Grade: C-minus

Photo by CFP/Getty Images

Chris Trapasso at CBS Sports:

Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA: Fun, do-everything linebacker with immense range and big-time tackling reliability. Flashes of coverage instincts and ball skills too. Instincts through the roof. Can get baited by play-action. Really fun pairing with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at second level. Grade: A

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State: This is an NFL-ready back with a game reminiscent of former first-round pick Rashaad Penny. Not overly elusive or ridiculous contact balance, but rock-solid across the board. Big-bodied back with juice. Fun talent but not exactly a pick with the long-term view in mind. Grade: C+

Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green: High-volume receiving sensation who dominated the MAC with tremendous yards-after-the-catch skills. Runs with unusual gait and isn’t overly fast after his initial burst off the line of scrimmage. Some suddenness to his game. Strong hands and leaping skill to make snags in traffic. Cherry on top — he’s a young prospect with his best football in front of him. Perfect for rebuilding Browns. Grade: A

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: Undersized, weak-armed, super-experienced QB. Can throw with anticipation to mitigate some of his arm-strength deficiencies and is a deceptive athlete, although he had trouble eluding most rushers in college on a routine basis. Knows where to go with the football but will be limited to mostly underneath passing in the NFL. Good pocket movement. Capped ceiling due to age and athletic deficiencies. Can be adequate backup in time. Browns needed another QB in their room. Grade: C

Ian Valentino at The 33rd Team:

Carson Schwesinger, LB: The Browns needed a boost on offense more than a linebacker, but taking Schwesinger means the future of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Schwesinger has similar range and impact in the passing game. He’s a good fit with Jim Schwartz, but he’s highly reliant on his situation being right. Grade: C

Quinshon Judkins, RB: The Browns desperately needed a starting running back to emerge from this class, but Quinshon Judkins was a bit of a surprise to be RB3. Still, he’s a great athlete who wins in the right ways. There’s a lot of Alvin Kamara to his game, and Cleveland will supercharge its run game with his presence. Grade: B

Harold Fannin Jr., TE: Giving Kevin Stefanski someone like Harold Fannin Jr. is fascinating and necessary for him to hit in the NFL. Fannin is so smooth that he was almost questionably athletic, but his combine confirmed he was winning with viable speed. He won’t be a traditional tight end, so the risk is that he has to be schemed for. Grade: B

Dillon Gabriel, QB: It’s one thing that Cleveland might not have wanted Shedeur Sanders, but taking Dillon Gabriel over Will Howard and Quinn Ewers is shocking. Gabriel doesn’t have the physical tools to be more than a backup, whereas at least the others could play and win in the right situation. This was a burned pick for a team with a lot of holes and other options on the board. Grade: F

Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images

Mel Kiper at ESPN:

There are some decent selections here. Schwesinger is a tackle machine at linebacker, with 115 last season. Earlier this week, there was buzz that he might go in the later part of Round 1, so I like seeing the Browns take him at No. 33. Judkins is a powerful back who knows how to get into the end zone, scoring at least 14 TDs in each of the past three seasons. Fannin put up wild numbers last season, leading the nation with 117 catches. These are good players at good value.

But I don’t totally get the approach at quarterback. Let’s be clear, I like Gabriel a lot. I picked him as my favorite QB sleeper in the class. He’s a winner who throws with pinpoint accuracy and timing. Gabriel sees the field well, too — he doesn’t turn the ball over. All that said, I thought he’d be a really good Day 3 get for some team. And I certainly never thought he’d go before Sanders, and even Kyle McCord and Will Howard.

Joe Flacco is 40 years old. Kenny Pickett has been traded twice since being a first-round pick in 2022. And Gabriel was my eighth-ranked QB in the draft class. This passing game could struggle big time.

The 2025 NFL Draft resumes today at noon with Rounds 4-7. The Browns currently hold three selections for the day, Round 4 (No. 126 overall), Round 5 (No. 166), and Round 6 (No. 192).