CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Cleveland Browns used four of their seven draft picks on quarterbacks and running backs, it raised eyebrows among fans. On a recent Orange and Brown Talk podcast, hosts Dan Labbe and Mary Kay Cabot tackled this criticism head-on, defending the team’s approach as both strategic and necessary.
A Football Insider subscriber named Tom voiced what many fans were thinking: “A month later, with no disrespect to the players, I still don’t understand the draft process. Spending four picks on quarterbacks and running backs with so many other gaps on the roster still doesn’t make sense.”
Cabot wasted no time defending the strategy, particularly regarding the quarterback selections.
“Well, first of all, why not take a couple of swings or a couple of bites at the quarterback apple? Why not do that? I was all about doing that anyways and seeing what you could come up with,” Cabot explained, highlighting the potential value of finding a quarterback in later rounds.
As for the running backs, Cabot pointed to the dire need to overhaul Cleveland’s ground game after a disappointing 2024 season where they ranked 23rd in rushing yards per play and 29th in rushing yards per game.
“And then running backs, I mean, you needed to restock your running back room. You needed to do that. Those two guys are your 1 and 2 running backs this year,” Cabot argued. “They single handedly will revamp and overhaul and revive that running game.”
Labbe added that despite some criticism, he couldn’t find fault with the actual selections made by General Manager Andrew Berry.
“I can’t complain about Mason Graham and Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin, Carson Schwesinger, like Dylan Sampson. I can’t complain about those picks,” Labbe said. “I don’t have an issue with what the Browns did in this draft, especially with those skill players.”
Both hosts also emphasized that fans shouldn’t overlook Cleveland’s significant free agency additions, which addressed other roster needs. They highlighted defensive tackle Maliek Collins and the two recently signed safeties, while noting the Browns added various offensive linemen and linebackers through free agency.
The draft strategy looks even more sensible when considering the team’s identity under head coach Kevin Stefanski. As Labbe pointed out, “When we’ve seen this offense at their best, they run the ball a lot.”
Cabot believes this draft class could yield an unusually high number of immediate contributors: “It looks to me like they may have come out of this draft with a lot of starters, and that doesn’t happen every year.” She listed Graham, Schwesinger, both running backs, and Fannin as potential day-one starters.
Want to hear the full defense of the Browns’ draft strategy and more insights on each pick? Listen to the complete episode of the Orange and Brown Talk podcast featuring Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe breaking down all aspects of Cleveland’s controversial but potentially brilliant draft approach.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Orange and Brown Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.