It’s Draft Day. Here Are Our Hopes (And Fears?)

Tonight’s the night for all of the draftniks out there, the people who worship the draft above anything else. And the Cleveland Browns currently have two selections in the first round.

There are those upset by that because it is not two selections in the 2027 Draft, where supposedly the next round of great quarterbacks will be available. That’s because the Browns have convinced their fan base that the only way to be a perennial playoff team is to get a top five pick in a QB rich year and get their man.

We just want to remind you of one thing. They did that in the last 10 years when they took Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in 2018. They were victorious just once in the playoffs with Mayfield.

We know what the Browns’ needs are. They need a left tackle for sure, and they need a wide receiver, a go to guy who can get open and catch the football. The latter tool seems like a no brainer, but have you seen the players at that position for Cleveland recently?

However, what they really need is an offensive dynamo, someone who puts fear into defenses. Think about it, who is currently the biggest weapon at new coach Todd Monken’s disposal?

Harold Fannin? He’s a good player, but he’s a tight end. Quinshon Judkins? He looks like a solid running back, but he’s coming off a dislocated ankle and he’s a reliable back, but is he a threat to go all the way on any carry?

That’s the argument for taking Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame. The analytics crowd will tell you #6 is too high to pick a runner, but what if Love turns out to be Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, or Emmitt Smith? We aren’t suggesting he is, but having a great runner is a big offensive weapon.

On the other hand, taking Carnell Tate from Ohio State would seem to give the Browns the #1 wide out they’ve coveted since Josh Gordon. Tate has good hands, speed, and ability to get open. Again, something the team sorely needs.

And wouldn’t getting some weapons around him make it easier to evaluate Shedeur Sanders as a quarterback?

We also wouldn’t have a huge problem drafting another edge rusher or a impact defender like Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles. Playmakers don’t have to be only on the offensive side of the ball.

Being we are talking about the Browns, one thing we hope they resist doing is drafting another quarterback, albeit with a caveat. We do not want another four-passer competition, particularly if three of the quartet are first- and second-year players.

If they make a deal involving one of the current QBs, mostly likely Dillon Gabriel, then draft another rookie, but we are sure that Monken will quickly identify who he wants to play (please, not Deshaun Watson) and then go about the job of getting that choice ready for the season.

We also hope there is synergy between GM Andrew Berry and Monken, because the coach and general manager should have a shared vision on what kind of football team the Cleveland Browns should be. That’s how good organizations do it.

We just aren’t sure that’s how it works in Berea.