The Cleveland Browns are losing a lot. What else is new? Nearing the end of the season, the Browns have a big question mark at the quarterback position in DeShone Kizer, who has led the team to a winless record and only a few weeks left to register a win in 2017, the Browns are making changes within the organization. Again.
While on track to be rewarded with the top pick in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft for the second straight year, they recently fired Executive Vice President of football operations Sashi Brown and hired John Dorsey to be the new general manager for the organization. Sashi Brown has made questionable moves through his time as VP, notably trading down in the draft twice and passing on quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson, who both look like franchise quarterbacks that will lead their teams for years to come. Hue Jackson, the current head coach, will retain his job and return to lead the team during the 2018 regular season. The Browns felt it was necessary to hire someone with a more football-oriented background, and Dorsey has been working in and out of NFL front offices since 1991, working with the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.
So what’s next? With the prior front office regime stock-piling selections for the upcoming draft in the hopes of filling various positions with talent, the Browns are hopeful that Dorsey can help provide the Browns with talent, specifically a franchise quarterback, to take the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Two first round picks and three second round picks provide the Browns with a number of opportunities to select a quarterback that can lead this team to victory. With the season winding down and the Browns already looking ahead to the offseason, let’s take a look at the top three quarterbacks they may contemplate selecting in the 2018 NFL Draft.
1. Josh Rosen, UCLA
Rosen has been on the NFL draft radar since he completed his 2015 freshman season with the UCLA Bruins. That year he completed 60 percent of his passes and threw 23 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. This year, Rosen continued to pad his resume before the draft, throwing for over 3700 yards with 26 touchdowns and little talent around him. In the first week of the 2017 college football season, Rosen displayed his ability to rally his team to victory, overcoming a 34-point deficit against Texas A&M to win the game. NFL scouts love his mechanics, and his throwing motion and release are as compact as they come. At the combine scouts will focus on his leadership skills and work ethic, which are the central concerns most people have in regards to the UCLA product, but Rosen is essentially seen as a lock to be a top pick in the upcoming draft.
2. Sam Darnold, USC
Sam Darnold has arguably been the most hyped quarterback prospect since the start of the college football season. Last season, Darnold wowed viewers, analysts and scouts as he took USC to the Rose Bowl and knocked-off Penn State in a game in which he led USC to 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, ending the year with a 9 game win streak. Scouts fell in love his athleticism and leadership skills. This year, while many people love his ability to improvise and scramble around the pocket to make a play downfield, they also have knocked him on his decision-making when doing so. Darnold has thrown 12 interceptions on the year, although 9 of them came in the first 6 games of the season. At 6 foot 4 inches, a similar height to Rosen, the size and ability is there to be a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL. There has been talk that he may stay an extra year at school with the USC trojans to refine his game, but if he does declare for the draft, his strong arm and athletic ability make his a highly touted prospect who could be an option for the Browns at number one.
3. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Mayfield is probably the most polarizing player in the upcoming draft. By the end of the year, it appears that he will win virtually every individual award that he is eligible for. He has already won the Maxwell Award for best all-around player in college football as chosen by sportscasters and sportswriters, the Davey O’Brien award, given to the players deemed the best quarterback in the NCAA, and the Walter Camp Award, given to the best collegiate football player by the NCAA Division I FBS head coaches and sports information directors. Mayfield is also the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy with over 4000 passing yards and 41 touchdowns to 5 interceptions to his name this season. There is no question the numbers are there, and scouts feel that he’ll ace scouting combine interviews. However, his size is a question mark, considering he is a bit small for someone at the quarterback position. In addition, Mayfield plays in the Big 12 Conference which is known for its high octane offense, leading some to believe his numbers are inflated. He also comes with on and off-the-field baggage, where a video of him surfaced online of Mayfield being tacked by police and some questionable gestures made towards Kansas Jayhawks players during their matchup. He has the talent, but the question marks may be a bit too much for teams to take a quarterback who doesn’t come off as athletic enough to overcome his size and possible immaturity issues.