Browns finally finished paying off debts from the Deshaun Watson trade and it doesn’t look great

The biggest benefit for the Cleveland Browns that came out for the 2024 NFL Draft may have not even been a player that they selected.

This draft marked the end of the Browns paying the Houston Texans for the franchise move they made to acquire QB Deshaun Watson.

After three drafts, Cleveland has paid off their debt for their starting quarterback and will finally have a first-round selection again in 2025.

Draft picks the Browns sent the Texans

• 2022 first-round pick
• 2022 fourth-round pick
• 2023 first-round pick
• 2023 third-round pick
• 2024 first-round pick
• 2024 fourth-round pick

With those picks, the Texans have either drafted or used the pick in a trade of sorts to gain the following players; WR Tank Dell, RB Dameon Pierce, DE Will Anderson Jr., S Caden Bullock, LB Jamal Hill, CB Kamari Lassiter, G Kenyon Green, TE Cade Stover

The Texans have some young, exciting players in Anderson and Dell, who both wouldn’t be a surprise to end up a Pro Bowl talent. Anderson had even sacks as a rookie and Dell’s rookie season totals were 709 yards in 11 games with seven touchdowns before a season ending injury.

  Pierce is a solid rotational running back and Green will be back healthy in 2024 after missing all of 2023 due to injury. He started 14 games as a rookie for Houston.

To this point, Cleveland can’t say the Watson trade has worked out in their favor. They’ve gotten 12 starts in two seasons between the 11-game suspension to start his tenure with the team and the shoulder injury.

In the 12 games so far, Watson has thrown 14 touchdowns to nine interceptions with 2,217 yards through the air. He has completed just under 60 percent of his passes, which is under his career average of 66.5 in six seasons.

Cleveland needs the third year to be the one that helps things get on the right path. Watson will be fully healthy going into the season is the plan and should be good to go in training camp. If it doesn’t work out this year, the Browns will be looking forward to when they can get out of the deal in a couple of years.

As of right now, the trade favors the Texans with the young talent they have been able to bring on. It is up to Watson to change that and Year 3 should tell us.