Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson a perfect pairing at Senior Bowl

The Cleveland Browns can only hope quarterback Deshaun Watson accepts his Senior Bowl invite. If he does, Hue Jackson will coach him on Team South.

Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson and company will coach Team South in the 2017 Senior Bowl on Jan. 28. The week of practices and the game offers the Browns a fantastic opportunity to engage and get to know some of the top college prospects, but one in particular stands out.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, fresh off winning the 2016 National Championship, received an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl last week because, even though he is not a senior, he has already graduated.

Jackson stated several weeks ago that he would “jump” at an opportunity to coach in the annual game, and a few days later accepted the offer to bring his coaching staff to Mobile, Ala., to coach Team South. With four of the top 60 picks, the 2017 NFL Draft is critical for the Browns and getting an extra glimpse at the seniors in the upcoming draft class is a significant gain.

Of course, quarterback remains a topic of discussion for the team and if Watson accepts his invitation he will be working with Jackson as a member of Team South.

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Although the Browns are likely to select a defensive player with the No. 1 overall pick come April 27, the team undoubtedly will consider a quarterback with their second first-round pick.

Watson, who is coming off thrashings of Ohio State and Alabama (679 passing yards and seven combined touchdowns), is viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects of this class.

Prior to the 2016 season, Watson was the all-too-early consensus No. 1 pick, but a few average performances set him back. However, as the season progressed, the 21-year old began to perform like the Heisman candidate he once was.

Watson exhibits good arm strength, demonstrates excellent poise and a high football IQ. However, his accuracy and decision-making is fairly average, something many scouts hold against him as an NFL prospect. The projected first-round pick has no problem changing plays at the line and his demeanor is even greater. He has fun while playing and that is often hard to find for his respective position.

Watson is an intriguing possibility in Cleveland, and watching him throw to wideouts Terrelle Pryor and Corey Coleman would be exciting. Throw Josh Gordon into the pot and Cleveland would have one of the most dangerous receiving cores in the NFL.

These are the Browns, however, so nothing is ever simple. This week the Browns lost assistant head coach/offense and Jackson-confidant Pep Hamilton to Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan. Hamilton had reasonable input in last year’s draft regarding the quarterbacks and it’s certainly a loss for Cleveland.

When you factor in that the Senior Bowl is quickly approaching, the team needs to address the vacant position sooner rather than later.

The are other quarterbacks than Watson who have been invited to the Senior Bowl, including Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs and Mississippi’s Chad Kelly. Obviously, the Browns brass will evaluate each prospect, though Watson is the most fascinating quarterback, if not player, invited. The upcoming off-season represents the most important draft in recent memory for the Cleveland Browns and the team knows it.

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Improvement is necessary next fall and the amount of draft picks should only help their cause. Jackson and company will take advantage of the opportunity to coach the players on Team South in their last game before turning pro, helping to identify which prospects will genuinely be under consideration for a team coming off of a 1-15 season.

If he plays, Watson will be the biggest attraction at the Senior Bowl and Jackson will do whatever it takes to pick Watson’s brain and determine if he’s worthy of a high-round pick.

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