Cleveland Browns: Reasonable expectations for the 2018 NFL Draft

Cleveland Browns fans have high expectations leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft. What is reasonable for fans to expect from what could be a loaded class?

The draft-rumor carousel spins round and round, nauseating all who dare to follow. There is certainly no shortage of useless information for Cleveland Browns fans. Most of us, by this point in the year, just want to close down the web browsers, turn off the televisions and radios, and find something, anything, to do until some sort of real information presents itself.

Our topic is reasonable expectations, but first let me throw a few thoughts into the swirling rumor-bowl before they go down the drain Thursday evening.

In case you haven’t heard, general manager John Dorsey and the Browns are selecting Sam Darnold with the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Of course, you have also likely heard that Josh Allen will be the selection. And then you have heard that Baker Mayfield is the sure choice, as has been the talk of late.

Do you ever get the feeling that someone is blowing a smokescreen up your wazoo? Every day it seems that another expert with another inside scoop is offering another undeniable truth. This is all simply trade-bait. If a team loves a player and they think another team will take them, the trade value rises astronomically.

Do you really think it reasonable that a GM would call around and announce his inner thoughts? Maybe if it serves a trade-related purpose, but the only person we should consider factual is commissioner Roger Goodell when he announces the first pick of round one.

Then there is the rumor that Dorsey won’t reveal his decision to even Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and head coach Hue Jackson.

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As far as the owner and coaches and their input and awareness, I will not presume to know what goes on behind closed doors in confidential meetings. I would hope they are on the same page, or reading from the same book at the very least. I know if it were my decision, and we disagree, then there is no point informing you with certainty that you will not get what you want. Again, I hope the Browns front office is aligned in thought, but it is irrelevant.

Could the Browns really be considering two quarterbacks? I would certainly hope they have considered it. Considering it doesn’t mean they will, and it doesn’t mean they won’t, but they should consider each and every possibility or be fired.

The Browns must select Saquon Barkley or Bradley Chubb with the fourth pick, right? I would hope the conversation goes deeper than two prospects. These two should indeed be in consideration, as should a few other players. A trade down should in the mix as well. The simple fact is, more options equal better value and decisions.

The only reasonable unknowns are in the upcoming selections of the other teams. No, they do not know who their fourth overall selection will be, but I assure you, they know who they want, and further, who they will take if their top choices are off the board.

As fans, expectations run high leading up to the draft. The swarm of rumors get us thinking of possible outcomes, but it is also important to take a simplistic inventory of reasonable expectations, as follows:

• The Browns will take a quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft.
• If a quarterback is not taken with the first, or fourth pick, Cleveland fans will contemplate a riot, or parade.
• Perhaps most importantly: Any quarterback chosen in the draft could indeed be a bust. Even if it is a first overall pick.
• Quality depth will be added to multiple positions and a few starters should emerge.
• The left tackle vacancy will be addressed. Keep in mind, however, there is a common consensus that there are not any elite-caliber, NFL-ready players in this class.

Beyond these few simple statements, not much can be expected. The Browns are in a phenomenal position with the equity they have acquired, yet even then, there are no sure things when it comes to the draft.

It is within reason to assume one of the top picks will be spent on a quarterback, but it is not entirely outside of reason to think that they like someone outside of the top four names. Would they take a top prospect, simply because they are a top prospect? Will they pass on a guy they really like because the media doesn’t value them as high?

Let’s be reasonable. They should take who they like at a value near their worth. We, as fans, have no way of knowing with any certainty who they prefer.

I would also like to address some unreasonable thoughts floating around:

It is not reasonable to think that John Dorsey and gang have not yet determined who the first overall pick will be. I would allow the exception that they may be back and forth between two prospects, but in all likelihood, they have known for some time.

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It is also not reasonable to think that they have abandoned the entirety of the draft simply due to a toss-up at the top spot. These guys know the game and what their goals are. Fans and media have the luxury of going on and on about the top spots, teams however have more than one or two picks to discuss and have been involved in the process for months, even years in some cases.

Lastly, it is ridiculously unreasonable to assume that the last two decades of failure have any bearing whatsoever on the outcome of this year’s draft for the Cleveland Browns. Maybe if superstition trumps common-sense, but the decision makers involved today were somewhere else, making decisions that we all wish had been made here over the last 20 years.