Cleveland Browns: USC QB Cody Kessler is a low-risk pick
The Cleveland Browns drafted USC quarterback Cody Kessler with the No. 93 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The Cleveland Browns were expected to take a quarterback sometime during the 2016 NFL Draft and did just that at the end of the third round Friday night.
The Browns selected USC quarterback Cody Kessler No. 93 overall after acquiring the pick in a trade with the Carolina Panthers.
Kessler was an unexpected choice, as Michigan State’s Connor Cook, Ohio State’s Cardale Jones and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott all remained on the board.
All three have dealt with questions about their respective character throughout college and the draft process, which explains the Browns avoiding them.
Head Coach Hue Jackson spent a great deal of time with the prospects before the draft, and seemed to like Kessler.
Jackson said he met face to face with Kessler extensively in his office in Berea. Also tapped into his USC connections for background.
— Andrew Gribble (@Andrew_Gribble) April 30, 2016
RT @RuiterWrongFAN: "You gotta trust me on this 1; this is a guy that I feel really comfortable w/" Hue on Kessler
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) April 30, 2016
While the Kessler selection may have seemingly come out of nowhere for fans, the Browns organization had done the proper research before making the selection, which is much more than what can be said of how draft picks were handled in the recent past.
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And while there will certainly be questions about Kessler’s potential as an NFL starting quarterback, he was not drafted to serve that role in 2016, or even 2017.
Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown are the two quarterbacks competing for the starting job, with Griffin as the early favorite for the job as of right now.
Jackson knows that Kessler has a great opportunity to learn behind Griffin and McCown for a year or two before ever seeing any time on the field.
Jackson raved about Kessler's accuracy and that he's played in a pro-style offense. #Browns
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) April 30, 2016
Cody Kessler at USC: 859-for-1261, 10,339 yards, 88 TD, 19 INT. #Browns
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) April 30, 2016
Jackson took a guy he knows he can work with and mold into the perfect quarterback for his system.
The Browns are at a stage where Jackson should be one of the few Browns coaches since 1999 to make it through his contract, as he was brought in with low expectations, with the plan for him to lead the rebuild.
The team is expecting to go through a rough stretch, so Jackson will not be fired in a year or two and will actually have a few years to work with Kessler to make him a quarterback who can start for the Browns in a few years.
And Kessler’s selection does not mean the Browns will not go after a quarterback in next year’s draft. He will not have a chance to prove himself by then, but the Browns would be foolish to pass up on a potentially great quarterback if given the opportunity. But thoughts on next year will have to be put on hold for now, as the Browns got a quarterback they like and one that will have time to develop in the offense in 2016.