Cleveland Browns are not selecting a running back in the first round

The Cleveland Browns have several holes to fill on the roster, but running back is not one, so don’t look for the Browns to draft one in the first round.

The 2017 NFL Draft is just 10 weeks away, which means that we are deep in mock draft territory.

While there is a growing consensus that the Cleveland Browns will (or at least should) select Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett with the No. 1 overall selection, there is considerable debate over who the Browns will take with their second selection in the first round, currently at No. 12.

The latest round of mock drafts from the national media have started to see a shift toward Cleveland using that selection on a running back, most notably either Florida State’s Dalvin Cook (Pro Football Focus and ESPN’s Mel Kiper) or LSU’s Leonard Fournette (Lance Zierlein at NFL.com).

There is one truth that the draft “experts” need to wrap their heads around, however, when it comes to Cleveland and it is this: the Browns are not selecting a running back in the first round.

This has nothing to do with Cook or Fournette, who both seem like rather nice prospects.

According to his draft profile at NFL.com, Cook is a:

"Very talented runner with outstanding balance, footwork and burst. Cook lacks the power that you may find with some running backs in this year’s draft, but he is a homerun hitter with a resume featuring monster games against his most highly regarded opponents. Cook creates for himself with elusiveness and speed, but his value could be diminished by injuries, character and issues in pass protection. If everything checks out, he could become a rookie of the year candidate right away."

If Cook is not the draft’s top running back, then Fournette may be as NFL.com points out:

"High-end talent with rare blend of size, speed and power. Comparisons to Adrian Peterson feel lofty, but from a physical standpoint, he’s there. Fournette doesn’t have the wiggle to make defenders miss and his vision can be iffy. However, if your run fits and tackling aren’t sound, he can take it the distance in an instant. May have durability concerns due to physical running style, but has All-Pro potential."

But to repeat: the Browns are not drafting a running back in the first round.

More from Dawg Pound Daily

Just like many people who still think the offensive line is “broken” and “one of the league’s worst units,” the misconception about the Browns running game continues to ferment.

The reality is that the tandem of Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson helped the Browns to hit a 50-year high in rushing average at 4.9 yards per game, which was also good enough for second in the entire NFL. The Browns were even better than the Dallas Cowboys and their “best in the NFL” offensive line and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott. (It’s true!)

Together, Crowell and Johnson combined to rush for 1,310 yards, had 833 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Now, as talented as Cook and Fournette may be, how much more would they give the Browns offense? And with all the holes the Browns have on the roster – most notably on defense but also at quarterback and wide receiver – can they really afford to use a high draft pick for what turn out to be just a modest increase in production?

And speaking of the quarterback position, once the Browns get a real quarterback – also known as anyone but Robert Griffin III – fans will begin to realize where the offensive line’s problems really were in 2016.

There is also this little tidbit (h/t @RyInCBus):

In case you didn’t know, Healy is currently a senior strategist for player personnel with the current Browns front office. While he did not hold that position a year ago, what he said a year ago most likely holds true even more so this year.

Next: Browns did not fire Bill Belichick

So just in case there is still someone who hasn’t caught on, let’s all repeat it one more time:

The Browns are not selecting a running back in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

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