2018 NFL Draft: Browns first round instant reactions

With the first and fourth overall picks of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Browns selected Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward. Let’s take a look at those picks, and have some fun in reckless speculation, shall we?

The Cleveland Browns, in part, shocked the draft world twice on Thursday. Depending on who you ask, there was at least one major shock, if not two.

Cleveland kicked off the night of festivities with perhaps the most unconventional quarterback of this class. However, they may have picked the best leader for their franchise, now that Joe Thomas is no longer a voice in the locker room.

Mayfield, as our own Randy Gurzi will tell you, is electric when he’s on the field. While he is not the athlete that Russell Wilson is, he might just be the second coming of Drew Brees. Not the biggest guy in the world, but a cannon arm and serious accuracy with which to wield it.

Whether or not you’re excited about Mayfield, most Ohioans will be ecstatic about the Browns No. 4 overall selection. Denzel Ward, Medina native and Nordonia High School graduate, will be donning the orange and brown for the 2018 NFL season.

No one expected this, and really, no one could handle it. This set into motion a situation where Bradley Chubb went to the Denver Broncos, and Josh Allen didn’t get picked until No. 7 overall.

The Browns had a ton of offers from other teams, but they coveted Ward over all of them. Ohio State cornerbacks have a recent history of being good to great to franchise-changing. Perhaps Ward could be this year’s Marshon Lattimore?

Next: Top 15 Browns first round picks

After all has been said and done, it’s hard not to be excited for this year’s Browns class already. What you got here were two gifted athletes, whose games base off of precision and ball skills. Get up, Dawg Pound. Maybe this rebuild is finally over.