Once a highly-touted 2025 NFL Draft prospect, former Texas WR Isaiah Bond fell out of the draft and remained a free agent for months following sexual assault charges. Those charges have been dropped after a grand jury declined to indict, and Bond has signed with the Cleveland Browns. Bond announced the news himself Thursday evening.
In the letter filed through his agency, Bond maintained his innocence while thanking the Browns organization for taking the chance on signing him.
“After reviewing all the evidence presented, a Collin County grand jury returned a ‘no bill’ in the sexual assault charge involving Isaiah Bond, meaning no indictment will be issued. This concludes the criminal proceedings in this matter,” said District Attorney Greg Willis via ESPN.
Bond is the second Browns’ rookie to have legal issues resolved today. Second-round pick RB Quinshon Judkins had his domestic violence charges dropped today, and he’s expected to soon sign his rookie contract and join the rest of his teammates.
After spending two years at Alabama, Bond transferred to Texas. His 2024 season wasn’t stellar and he was often overshadowed by teammate Matthew Golden while the Longhorns’ offense suffered through inconsistent quarterback play. Still, Bond finished the year with 34 receptions for 540 yards and five touchdowns, averaging a healthy 16 yards per reception.
Our scouting report compared him to New Orleans Saints’ speedster Rashid Shaheed. Pittsburgh met with Bond at the his Pro Day, with him later recalling a great meeting with head coach Mike Tomlin.
At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and was widely projected to be selected in either the second or third round of April’s draft.
The sexual assault allegations halted all of that. Arrested two weeks before the draft, Bond was accused of having a non-consensual sexual act with a woman. He denied all allegations and later filed a defamation lawsuit against the woman. That suit was thrown out in July.
With his legal situation behind him, NFL teams felt comfortable signing him. With just 12 days until roster cutdowns, Bond has an uphill climb to make an even relatively weak Browns’ wide receiver depth chart. Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman are locks, while Jamari Thrash has a good chance of sticking. But the rest of the roster faces questions. Diontae Johnson is looking to revive his career after a terrible 2024, former third round pick David Bell is squarely in “bust” territory, and fan-favorites like Luke Floriea were lost due to injury. That gives Bond a chance to make the roster, though even if he does, it will likely take weeks for him to see regular-season action.
Pittsburgh plays Cleveland in Weeks 6 and 17.
