The Cleveland Browns could very well draft a quarterback and these three players are all in play so does the team take one of them?
Baker Mayfield is the Cleveland Browns quarterback, at least for one more season as he’s entering the last season of his rookie contract. The Browns have had a historically bad run of quarterbacks, some 30 or more of them in the starting role since the team started back in 1999.
That fact has been well documented. Mayfield has brought some stability to the position, now entering year number five as the starter. However, if you’re a Browns fan, you know that the subject of the quarterback and who should be leading this team on offense continues to be a very controversial topic moving forward.
With that, the Browns are likely looking at several quarterbacks that will be drafted coming up in April. The team currently holds the No. 13 pick in the first round. Rumors are swirling around this pick and what Cleveland will do — with some even suggesting that they could take a quarterback with the pick.
If they did that it would definitely indicate that the team will eventually want to go a different direction away from Mayfield. However, they could wait and take a quarterback in one of the later rounds of the draft. There have been quarterbacks that have succeeded in the NFL despite being drafted in the later rounds but that doesn’t happen very often. Tom Brady, the legendary and future Hall of Famer was drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft so it can happen.
Let’s take a brief look at the three quarterbacks that the Browns likely see as their best options if they were to draft a quarterback.
Cleveland Browns Quarterback to Scout No. 1: Kenny Pickett, University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh quarterback is probably the most NFL ready to start at the beginning of the season. He was a four-year starter for the Panthers. He passed for 12,303 yards. Had a 62% completion rating. He had 81 touchdowns, which included 42 of those in his senior campaign.
He stands at 6-foot-3 and can play well from the pocket. If you’re concerned about his speed, don’t be because he ran the 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.73 seconds, the third-fastest among the quarterbacks running at the Combine.
His accuracy, at 67% his senior year, and his ability to throw the deep ball well all make him a definite first-round pick for some NFL team. It would a shocking move by the Browns if they did draft Pickett at No. 13. If for some reason Cleveland decides to give up their early pick to move back a bit in the first round and Pickett was still there I might think the Browns would consider the move even then. I don’t expect that scenario to happen but stranger things have taken place at NFL Drafts in the past.
Cleveland Browns Quarterback to Scout No. 2: Malik Willis, Liberty University
If you’re looking for the quarterback with the biggest upside then look no further than Malik Willis. The Liberty quarterback started his career at Auburn before transferring to his new school and he had an outstanding two seasons with the Flames. He threw for over 5,107 yards with 47 touchdowns while at Liberty. He’s also a quarterback that could escape from the pocket and scamper for extra yards. He had 878 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Some have suggested that Willis wasn’t playing against the best at the collegiate level and asked how will that project to the NFL. But he’s performed well at the recent Senior Bowl and his work at the NFL Combine has all shown his talents to NFL scouts across the league.
Willis started out as a likely draft pick in the middle rounds but now has been climbing the latter ranks and talk of him being drafted in the first round could become reality. He has an easy ability to throw the deep ball as well.
The combination of his big arm to make the downfield throws and his ability to allude his opponent when he’s running down the field are all very impressive. If the Browns were to drop back in that first round or had a pick or two in that second round and Willis were still there, I’d certainly believe the team might consider the move to draft him.
Cleveland Browns Quarterback to Scout No. 3: Desmond Ridder, University of Cincinnati
Desmond Ridder helped lead his team to the National Championship Semifinal Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Though the Bearcats lost to the Tide, Ridder and his teammates got a lot more national attention, and deservedly so.
Ridder stands in at 6-foot-3 and had a great career as a Bearcat. He’s been projected to be drafted in the early to mid rounds but after a nice Senior Bowl performance recently and an outstanding NFL Combine performance he could find himself drafted much higher than expected.
For the Browns, there’s probably a better chance that Ridder is available for them to pick than either Pickett or Willis. Ridder has all intangibles that would suggest he’ll be a very good NFL quarterback. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds. He crushed the vertical jump at 36 inches and the broad jump at 10 foot 7 inches.
If the Browns were to take any of these three quarterbacks, they’d definitely have a very good player waiting in the wings to take over, if Mayfield were to not be in Cleveland moving forward.
The fact that Mayfield has managed to be the Browns quarterback for four years is a big accomplishment in itself. So let’s sit back, continue to debate and see how all these stories pan out.