Todd McShay NFL Mock Draft 2025: Cam Ward to Titans, Shedeur Sanders to Browns

NFL draft analyst Todd McShay is among the consensus expecting the Tennessee Titans will take Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, but the Cleveland Browns at two remain a wild card given their obvious need at quarterback.

In his latest mock released on Thursday (starts at 7:40 mark), McShay said that Shedeur Sanders is "absolutely in play" for the Browns with the No. 2 pick.

Ward's growing stature as the pre-draft process has gone on is taking a lot of the drama out of the top of the draft. It would be an upset at this point if he wasn't Tennessee's choice at No. 1.

The argument McShay laid out for Sanders to be Cleveland's pick is rational, noting the organization is in "purgatory" at quarterback because of Deshaun Watson's contract.

There is also likely to be a lot of pressure on general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski to win games this season. That duo is 40-44 with one playoff victory in two postseason appearances since being hired in 2020.

It can certainly be argued if Sanders would be the right quarterback to help the Browns win games in 2025, but there aren't a lot of better options available right now.

Russell Wilson did meet with Browns officials last week, but he could be waiting to see if the Pittsburgh Steelers get Aaron Rodgers before making a decision.

Given the uncertainty around Wilson's status, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported on Wednesday there is "mutual interest" between the Browns and Carson Wentz as a potential bridge quarterback option.

A bridge option could suggest the Browns will take Sanders and let him develop early in the season before he gets the keys to the offense. It could also mean they view Wentz as a starter for 2025 and will try to plan for a quarterback in next year's draft.

There's also the hints that Myles Garrett recently dropped about Cleveland's options at quarterback. The six-time Pro Bowler said on Best Podcast Available with Andrew Siciliano that based on his conversations with team leaders during his contract negotiations that he got "an idea" who will be under center in 2025 and it was good enough to get him to sign an extension.

Whatever the plan is, the Browns are going to come out of free agency and the draft with at least one new quarterback on their roster.

Watson and Kenny Pickett are currently the only quarterbacks under contract. Watson could miss the entire 2025 season after rupturing his Achilles in January while rehabbing the original injury he suffered in October.

Sanders would offer the Browns a cost-controlled option at quarterback with upside that they could build around. He finished eighth in Heisman voting last season at Colorado after throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in 13 games.