The Cleveland Browns have yet to give any strong indication of what they plan to do with the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s NFL Draft, and there is at least one scenario that would be considered surprising but is not impossible.
Since they currently have the No. 1 and No. 4 overall pick in a historically good quarterback draft class, some have wondered if the Browns could use both selections on QBs. According to Kevin Clark of The Ringer, Cleveland’s front office has discussed and considered doing just that.
This draft season, particularly over the last six weeks, I have asked multiple members of the Cleveland Browns organization—which owns picks no. 1 and 4, in addition to three second-rounders—what I thought was a very stupid question: Have you considered ignoring all norms and drafting two quarterbacks high in the draft? The answer is yes. The people I asked have thought about it, discussed it, and investigated it.
This is not to say it will happen, but the Browns have considered it. In fact, one person I spoke with could immediately rattle off every previous instance of teams drafting two passers high because he’d done the prep work on the idea.
The Browns have five picks in the first 64 spots in the draft, so they could also draft two QBs without using their two highest picks on the position. However, executives noted to Clark that while having two top quarterback prospects on your roster would decrease the chances of a total miss (of which the Browns have had countless), it would also present challenges in developing the two players with practice reps and things of that nature.
With two picks in the top four, the Browns have a rare opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback and another immediate impact player. Taking two QBs probably isn’t the best allocation of resources, though general manager John Dorsey insists he is open to everything — even trading back.
Most signs have pointed to Cleveland deciding between two players with the first overall pick, but what they will do at No. 4 is a bit more of a mystery. It’d be pretty shocking if they used both picks on QBs.
