Cleveland Browns draft day 2018: A stroll down memory lane
After months of speculation and analysis, draft day 2018 is finally here. The Cleveland Browns, as we all know, have two top-five picks tonight. Let’s take a look back and reminisce, shall we?
A quick walk down memory lane never hurts, especially on the day of such a momentous occasion. With the 2018 NFL Draft finally upon us, let’s take a look at what people thought about this class way back when, around this time last year.
WalterFootball.com’s list of mock drafts comes in really handy here. According to them, the earliest mock draft of this season came on April 29, 2017, courtesy of Fox Sports. Let’s see just how correct their predictions were, not to rag on them, but just as a spot of fun.
The Cleveland Browns held the No. 2 and 12 overall picks in this draft. At No. 2 overall, Fox Sports had Cleveland picking Derwin James, safety from Florida State. If the Giants, holders of the No. 2 pick now, picked James, it would of course be a huge surprise.
But where Fox Sports really falters is their selection at No. 12. They had the Browns taking defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, defensive tackle from Clemson. Of course, Wilkins would be a great pick here, if not for one little problem: he didn’t declare for the draft.
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This obviously isn’t Fox’s fault, but it’s still humorous to consider how much the draft can change with just one decision made by one player. Bringing the mock drafts up to more recent times, let’s take a look at WalterFootball’s first mock after the season ended.
On January 6th, 2017, Walter Cherepinsky and his band of merry analysts at WalterFootball put out this mock draft. With the draft order firmly in place, crunch time had officially begun. Let’s see those picks.
No. 1 overall? Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley was electric, and did have time in the sun as the top overall pick, but the Browns would be shocking the world by picking him now.
With the fourth pick, this mock penciled in Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. While this writer still believes that Fitzpatrick is the best secondary defender in this class, he seems to have fallen down many draft boards across the NFL community.
As of draft day, the consensus pick at No. 4 seems to be N.C. State’s Bradley Chubb. Really, it’s easy to see why. However, for those who still believe in Fitzpatrick, we can still hold out hope. Somewhere, in an alternate universe out there, Alabama’s premier defender is already donning orange and brown.
Now that our trip down memory lane looks to be finished, it is best to focus on the present. The draft, after all, is finally here! Months and months of analysis is culminating and coming to a head right before our very eyes.
Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the 2018 NFL Draft. The Browns could really fix their franchise with this one, so take it all in, and most importantly, have some fun. Our own Mike Lukas has a draft party guide handy, and Chris Markoch prepared a poem for your draft-mas festivities.
So let’s get out there and have some fun, alright? This is our Super Bowl after all, Browns fans. And hey, if it doesn’t work out, or if you don’t like a pick, have no fear. Just remember: there’s always next year.