Cleveland Browns: The QB questions continue with the 2017 NFL Draft
By Joel W. Cade
The Cleveland Browns have done it again. They have earned the first overall pick in the NFL Draft during a year where there is no consensus top quarterback.
The Cleveland Browns are in a draft conundrum. Do they pick a quarterback with the first overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft even though it may be a reach? Or do they draft the best value at the top pick and potentially miss out on their quarterback of the future?
In typical Browns fashion, they earned the first overall pick in a year where there is no consensus top quarterback. To make matters worse, if there were a consensus top quarterback most draft experts agree he would not be worth the No. 1 overall pick.
The Browns are in “year 2” of a massive tear down and rebuild project. This past season saw the elimination of what Joe Thomas called the “middle class” of the roster. In its place were 13 draft picks and many undrafted free agents. The result was a 1-15 record that put the Browns in position this draft season to infuse the roster with more young talent.
One of the biggest holes on the roster is quarterback. There are many schools of thought on how to build a roster. One model advocates picking the quarterback early then drafting a team around him. The other model mandates building a team first then drafting the quarterback second.
With the first overall pick, the Browns are in the crosshairs between drafting to fill out the team and being primed for picking the quarterback of the future. Fans, analysts and the media are split on which direction the Browns should take.
Let us examine each argument for and against taking a quarterback first overall. Only then will we be in position to lay out a path that makes sense for the Browns.