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Cleveland Browns: 10 biggest ‘what ifs?’ in the NFL Draft since 1999

By Eddie McDonald

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 17: Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. #13 of the Cleveland Browns after a play against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 17, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Bengals 35-30. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 17: Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. #13 of the Cleveland Browns after a play against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 17, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Bengals 35-30. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

10 of the biggest NFL Draft “what ifs” for the Cleveland Browns

Hindsight will always be 20/20 especially when it comes to professional sports drafts and even more so when it comes to the Cleveland Browns since 1999.

Up until 2018, when the Browns drafted quarterback Baker Mayfield first overall, Cleveland has been searching for a franchise quarterback since returning to the league in 1999. Many guys have been selected in the draft in hopes of turning the franchise around, with most not succeeding.

Every draft will have players that other teams have passed on that have gone on to be great players, so it’s not only the Browns, but some of the decisions or lack thereof were rather head-scratching over the last two decades.

There are a number of different ways this list could go with the number of players Cleveland has missed or passed on. For this list, I will focus on the first-round picks over the last two decades that could’ve completely changed the trajectory of the Browns and the NFL.

This list also assumes that the players discussed remained healthy and had similar stats to what they’ve had over the course of their careers.

10. What if the Cleveland Browns didn’t trade for OBJ in 2019?

Cleveland traded the No. 17 and No. 95 picks of the 2019 draft, plus right guard Kevin Zeitler and safety Jabrill Peppers to the Giants for wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. and defensive tackle Olivier Vernon.

First off, we wouldn’t constantly hear a new rumor about Beckham being unhappy or wanting out of Cleveland. That alone would be fantastic to get away from.

The OBJ experiment hasn’t gone according to plan thus far, but there is still plenty of time for that to happen. A year before the trade, the Giants gave Beckham a five-year, $95 million contract, so Cleveland will have him for the next three seasons barring a trade.

Beckham is coming off a year in which his season ended early due to a torn ACL. The Browns offense thrived in 2020 behind the stepped-up play of Mayfield, and fans are chomping at the bit to see a healthy Beckham in said offense.

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