by After yet another disappointing (and generally bizarre) season, the Cleveland Browns find themselves in an all too familiar position: Picking at the top of the NFL Draft.
The question remains as to what the Browns should do with their #2 overall selection when the draft rolls around in April. Several options are in play, including trading the pick back, bolstering the offensive or defensive lines, or finally addressing the Deshaun Watson sized elephant in the room by taking a quarterback.
It’s no secret that the Cleveland Browns have struggled to find a franchise quarterback since the team returned in 1999. Forty different players have started under center for Cleveland in that time, and it seems all too likely that we’ll see number forty-one at the start of 2025. What’s more concerning is that the Browns have drafted twelve quarterbacks in that time, none of which have panned out for Cleveland.
This lack of draft success was one of the primary motivators in the Browns decision to make the unprecedented move of bringing in Deshaun Watson, who statistically was a top-5 quarterback before his legal and medical problems began. The Browns mortgaged their future in multiple ways, signing away $230 million in guaranteed money and three first round draft picks. This deal has become so infamous, it even has it’s own Wikipedia page (I’m not kidding, look it up).
All of this said, the mindset that led to the Deshaun Watson deal is one that has been unnecessarily overinflated. While the Browns have yet to draft a solidified franchise quarterback this century, they also haven’t attacked the NFL Draft the right way.
Of those twelve quarterbacks I mentioned, only two have been drafted higher than #22 overall: Tim Couch and Baker Mayfield. It’s hard to argue that Couch ever had a legitimate chance on a poorly constructed expansion team, and Baker Mayfield has now led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to two division titles in a row after being tossed aside in favor of Deshaun.
This franchise has attempted to outsmart the league multiple times by taking late round quarterbacks that several other teams have passed up on, without ever earning the right to do so. They haven’t been swinging and missing at high level prospects, they’ve been taking chances on project quarterbacks and rushing them into playing time. That has yet to work for the Browns, and likely never will.
Should the Browns elect to use their #2 overall pick this year on a quarterback, consensus says there are two realistic options: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward.
Shedeur Sanders profiles as a pro-ready quarterback with limited upside. He doesn’t have the biggest arm or the fastest legs, but he takes care of the ball and does everything well. One downside is the potential of bringing more unwanted attention to the team, considering that Sheduer is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Dion Sanders.
Cam Ward profiles as more of the upside pick, a gunslinger who (while improving year over year) has a tendency to put the ball in harm’s way. That said, his pocket presence is incredible, and the moment never appears too big for Ward. Some experts have expressed concern about his attitude and maturity levels after taking himself out of Miami’s recent bowl game.
Who should the Browns take out of these two? Honestly, I don’t care.
The point here isn’t to highlight a can’t miss prospect or give my opinion on any of the draftable quarterbacks. The Browns could even go and take Alabama’s Jalen Milroe or Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss for all I care.
The only thing we should care about is that the Browns go get the player they want. Even if it requires swapping up to the #1 overall pick, it’s time for this front office to prove they can identify and develop talent at the quarterback position. No more getting cute, trading back, or drafting a project quarterback in the later rounds. Take the top quarterback on your draft board, even if the experts consider it a reach. No one will question where you drafted your quarterback if they turn out to be a valuable starter.
This isn’t to say that the Browns don’t need to look to the free agent market as well. While the team will be limited in what they can do (thanks to Watson’s contract), there are still going to be affordable veteran quarterbacks that can act as a bridge until our draft pick is ready. Guys like Kirk Cousins, Joe Flacco, and Justin Fields will likely be available for team-friendly deals, but these players need to be utilized as stop gaps, and not long term solutions.
Have the Browns failed at drafting quarterbacks so far? Yes. The only successful pick is currently playing for Tampa Bay. But remember two things: One, the franchise has only taken a true swing at a high level prospect twice since 1999. And two, this regime of Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski has yet to take a real shot at drafting a quarterback.
If ownership believes in these two enough to bring them both back for another year, then they need to put their stamp on the quarterback position in the form of a highly drafted player.
At the end of the day, I’m just begging the team not to overthink this draft. Go get your guy.
