CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There’s a common thread when it comes to the Cleveland Browns and NFL mock drafts.
And it’s one that doesn’t make sense.
If you’re a Browns fan reading this, you know your team’s biggest need: A starting quarterback.
But somehow that glare hasn’t been bright enough to attract much attention in the national spotlight.
Just about every new mock draft that comes out has Cleveland not addressing that biggest need at No. 2 overall in next month’s draft.
The most popular selection for the Browns continues to be Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter (see here from NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and Chad Reuter, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and CBS Sports Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso).
The second most popular choice? Colorado cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter (NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein and ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum, who put a twist on his mock and said this is who he would pick if he was a GM for each team).
Both players are great. And if (heavy on the if) the Browns took either of them at No. 2 overall, I don’t think most of us would not be that surprised. Right now, both are being talked about as possible generational talents who could start immediately and make a bigger impact.
In almost every mock, there is some justification for why the Browns don’t need a QB that high. It’s usually some version of Cleveland still being in the hunt to sign Russell Wilson as a free agent (although as of Tuesday night, Wilson is going to be a Giant), along with an acknowledgement that they already brought in Kenny Pickett. Throw in a dash of vagueness about them being able to figure out QB in free agency.
But right now? We are essentially yada-yada-ing over the team’s QB plans.
Yes, Kenny Pickett was told he would be given a chance to compete for the starting job. But him being a full-time starter for this team just isn’t plausible -- especially when you remember all the Browns did is swap quarterbacks, by shipping out Dorian Thompson-Robinson to Philadelphia in the trade to acquire Pickett.
As of right now, Pickett is the only guy in the room. Deshaun Watson is still under contract, but after re-rupturing his Achilles, the common talking point remains that he likely won’t be available for much of this season.
That means the Browns need to bring in at least two more guys, including a rookie.
And why wouldn’t you do it with the second-overall pick, when you’re going to get the most bang for your buck?
The consensus seems to be that the Titans will wrap up Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick. Just about every mock has Tennessee taking the Miami prospect. So it seems like that next-best option would be Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders at 2.
But maybe Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart or Louisville’s Tyler Shough is their guy. I can practically hear the screaming through the computer now, but it doesn’t matter if we don’t think any of those guys are “worthy” (whatever that means) of the No. 2 pick.
Yes, the Browns could trade back up in the first round potentially and still take Hunter or Carter at 2, but there’s still no guarantee they would be able to get back in high enough to get their guy, especially with Dart and Shough’s respective stock rising. This regime has also been less likely than others to trade up and chase guys.
The other ironic element to the conventional wisdom that the Browns won’t and shouldn’t take a QB at 2? Almost every mock that has the Browns passing on Sanders has the Giants scooping him up one pick later at No. 3 overall.
If you’re telling me Sanders is good enough to go at No. 3, then he’s good enough to go at 2 to Cleveland as well. Actually, between the two teams, I would argue the Giants are in a much better spot with their QB room as they already signed Jameis Winston as a backup and have Wilson on his way.
And at the very least, if you’re the Browns and you genuinely don’t want Sanders, at this point, you better try and make the Giants trade up in order to draft him, so that you get something else in return and only move back one spot.
While I can envision the Browns taking a QB later, I’m trying to not overthink things when it comes to their most glaring need.
They need a quarterback, just like the Giants and the Titans. Most mock drafts have both of those teams ending up with QBs.
They need to get younger.
They need to get rookie deals that are friendly towards their current cap situation.
They haven’t been overly aggressive in signing a veteran QB in free agency or trading for one.
Without knowing their plans for sure (as we know, those are kept under lock and key), I’m left with reading the tea leaves.
But right now, they certainly seem to be pointing me in one direction, and that’s the idea of the Browns needing a lot out of a rookie QB this year. They need someone who can plausibly compete for the starting job. And if you’re expecting a lot, I’m going to assume you’re investing a lot in the form of a high pick.
But for right now, this intrigue and possible misdirection has to be exactly where the Browns want to be. Mystery is the best way to do draft business, especially when you’re at the top.
That’s the one thing that does make sense.
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