Could the Cleveland Browns take a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft?

The Cleveland Browns have a starter for next season in Baker Mayfield. Should they draft another quarterback to groom behind him?

The Cleveland Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanksi will give quarterback Baker Mayfield every chance to succeed with this football team. But what if he puts up another lackluster season as he did in 2019? The Browns should be prepared to not only add depth to that quarterback room but also to add a security blanket in case Mayfield struggles again in 2020.

Garrett Gilbert is an adequate player, one that was clearly liked by former GM John Dorsey. But nobody should expect him to be more than career backup in the NFL. It also has been rumored that the Browns are looking at Chase Daniel and Case Keenum as possible free-agent targets this offseason.

This quarterback unit could look vastly different from last year with the addition of a quality veteran backup and the possibility of adding a young quarterback in the draft. Here are a few prospects who could make sense for the Browns:

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Jalen Hurts would be an interesting player for the Browns to grab in the middle rounds of the draft. Completing 70 percent of his passes a season ago for 32 touchdowns compared to only eight interceptions, Hurts fits the mold of what the Browns are trying to do with Baker Mayfield.

With a similar size and skill set as Mayfield, Hurts can be seen as either a long-term backup to Mayfield or as an eventual replacement if Mayfield struggles. The only problem with this scenario is that Hurts seemed to really improve his draft stock at the NFL Combine this past week.

James Morgan, Florida International

James Morgan has the size and arm strength that you look for in a quarterback. Standing at six-foot-four inches tall and weighing 242 pounds, Morgan is built like a tree, but can still move around a bit in the pocket.

He also protects the ball having only thrown 12 interceptions over his past two seasons as a starting quarterback. Morgan had a very impressive week at the East-West Shrine game and scouts have taken notice.

For a mid-round draft pick, Morgan could come into Cleveland and serve as the third quarterback for a few seasons as Stefanski and Alex Van Pelt would try to develop him into an NFL caliber quarterback.

Khalil Tate, Arizona

Khalil Tate is a bit more of a project than the other two. Tate possesses excellent speed from the quarterback position having been clocked as 4.49 in the 40-yard dash although he didn’t make the cut for the 2020 NFL Combine.

But plays like this is why Tate is such an intriguing prospect:

Tate did complete 60 percent of his passes in 2019 but only threw for 1,954 yards and 14 touchdowns. His mechanics as a quarterback would need to be improved but his raw talent is worth taking a flyer on him alone.

With a strong-arm and decent accuracy coupled with great athleticism, Tate would seem to be a nice late-round selection that the Cleveland Browns can try to mold into an NFL quarterback.