Browns would consider taking Deshaun Watson at No. 12?

The Cleveland Browns are still in need of a starting quarterback, and the general consensus is that none of the signal-callers in the upcoming NFL Draft are ready to start right away. That doesn’t mean the Browns won’t pick one of them early.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns are highly unlikely to draft former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson first overall, but would they consider him at No. 12?

The Browns have done plenty of due diligence on Watson, and like other teams, they seem to like his ability to step it up on the big stage and win games. I don’t think they’re seriously considering him at No. 1 overall and I don’t think they’d trade back up to get him, but I think they’d give him some thought at No. 12 or later in the round if he starts to fall. Some teams don’t want to like Watson, but he keeps checking off boxes.

While it would be a surprise if the Browns did not select defensive star Myles Garrett at No. 1 overall, there has been some talk of them considering North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky at that spot. If they went that route, Watson obviously wouldn’t be an option.

Watson boosted his draft stock by leading Clemson to an incredible comeback over Alabama in the National Championship Game back in January. Even if his skills need polishing, he showed he can perform on the biggest stage when the odds are stacked against him. When you read this report, you might think a better question to ask would be if Watson even wants to play for the Browns.