Cleveland Browns: 5 Thoughts On 2017 NFL Draft
By Peter Smith
Tis the season for rumors and prognostications involving the 2017 NFL Draft, so let’s discuss a few of these involving the Cleveland Browns.
The 2017 NFL Draft happens about two weeks later than it should, so it’s the time when NFL teams have sorted out exactly what they want to do and they are actively engaged in rumor mongering in the days leading up to the actual draft. So, let’s go ahead and dive into these rumors and why there is some truth in them with the Cleveland Browns.
Additionally, going through the NFL draft process and spending so much time trying to figure out what the Browns want to do, a couple thoughts keep coming up in terms of how they will approach the class in general and some specific players they may really want.
Let’s start with the Mitchell Trubisky-shaped elephant in the room.
How Real Is The Trubisky Interest?
This past week Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Cleveland Browns had not decided between Myles Garrett, the defensive end from Texas A&M, and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky from North Carolina with the top overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Initially, I had dismissed this as noise leading up to the draft and the timing of the report was convenient given that Trubisky’s edition of “Jon Gruden’s QB Camp” was set to air that evening.
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While I still find the timing of that announcement a little suspect, I do believe that a source within the Browns organization did give Schefter the information for that report. Given Schefter’s reputation within the NFL and nationally, that report comes with a ton of credibility behind it, which is precisely what the Browns wanted.
The Browns want everyone to think they are in love with Trubisky so that when they take Garrett with the top overall pick, the assumption is they are totally focused on trying to obtain Trubisky. There’s no getting away from the Trubisky rumors that have been there since he established himself as a top quarterback prospect and people realized he was from Mentor, OH. Since they can’t get away from that rumor, they might as well drape themselves in it.
I absolutely believe the Browns like Trubisky. It’s not clear if he’s their preferred option at quarterback, but they certainly like him. At the NFL Scouting Combine, the Browns were reportedly impressed with Trubisky and was Hue Jackson’s preferred quarterback. That could absolutely be true and Jackson view Trubisky in that light, both then and now. This has enabled them to evaluate the rest of the quarterback class with anonymity.
The team has worked out all the major players and had them in for official visits in Berea. They’ve also coached Joshua Dobbs of Tennessee and Davis Webb of Cal at the Senior Bowl, and even asked Deshaun Watson of Clemson to participate in the event. Lake Dawson, a scout with the Browns, followed DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame the entire season. The first quarterback they worked out privately was Pat Mahomes from Texas Tech.
It’s still all about Trubisky with less than a week until the draft.
After they select Garrett at No. 1, they have the 12th and 33rd pick to potentially use in picking one of the top quarterbacks in this class. Who they value and where they value them is largely a mystery, which is exactly what the Browns want.
The team certainly could try to trade up and grab Trubisky if they value him as much as has been suggested. But if the goal is to effectively mask what they truly want to do at the quarterback position in this draft class, they’ve done that effectively by embracing and even perpetuating Trubisky rumors.