Cleveland Browns: NFL Draft hindsight is a futile process

Cleveland Browns fans can be mad about players the team didn’t draft, but it is just a waste of energy based on how different things would have been.

With the Cleveland Browns finally having a Sunday off, fans were able to focus on the competitive slate of games across the NFL instead of dealing with the frustrations of yet another loss.

The best game of the day came in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers took on the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys ultimately won the game thanks to an amazing performance from rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, along with a great game by rookie quarterback Dak Prescott.

Both are playing well enough to be the early favorites for Rookie of the Year Honors, while Elliott’s name may end up in the MVP discussion.

Browns fans were given an up-close look at the two in the Week 9 debacle against the Cowboys, which brought up a familiar discussion.

With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Browns could have selected Elliott. And with Prescott not going until the fourth round, he was also an option for the team.

Prescott’s situation is a bit different as every team passed on him several times, but Elliott was a top prospect who the Browns had the ability to select after the Los Angeles Rams were set on taking a quarterback.

And given how dominant the former Ohio State Buckeye has been in his first nine games, Browns fans may be furious that the team wasted a chance to take him, instead opting to trade down and acquire more picks.

It is easy to see how well Elliott, or any other rookie, is doing and be upset the Browns passed on the chance to bring a star to Cleveland. But fans must remember that his success may not be the same if he was wearing a Browns uniform on Sundays.

While Elliott frequently gets at least 20 carries per game, Isaiah Crowell has yet to get more than 18 in a single game. He has a combined 15 carries in the past two games.

One could argue the Browns would run the ball more with Elliott in the backfield, but early deficits have made the offense one-dimensional in 2016. That, and some questionable play-calling. So it goes when a team is 0-10.

The same goes for the team drafting a quarterback other than Cody Kessler. Based on how the rookie has been beat up to this point this season, it is hard to imagine another player having any better luck.

So as frustrating as it is, Browns fans have to accept that bringing a player to Cleveland at this point may not result in any success, no matter who it is. Better to see Elliott flourish in Dallas than get no carries in Cleveland and have his talent wasted. Elliott fantasy owners surely agree with this.

Next: Hue Jackson is not going anywhere

The Browns are a team that must build through the draft, but passing on certain future talents is bound to happen. The key is to focus on who the team does draft, and go from there. Anything else is simply out of our control.