Review of the Browns 2018 Draft

The last time the Browns drafted a quarterback and a cornerback in the same round ?   Just four years ago, amazingly enough.  So, is Mayfield the next Johnny Manziel, and is Denzel Ward going to be the next Justin Gilbert?  Stay tuned Browns fans.  

   The Browns had an excellent draft by any measure.  Some fans are complaining, they should have taken so-and-so, and nobody else in the NFL is worth drafting.  Of course, that's nonsense.  If you have a guy who can throw the ball farther than John Elway, it can't be that bad.

     Baker Mayfield throws the ball better than anyone I can remember. He's in the class of Marino and Elway  Are there risks?  Sure there are.  Off the field, he has a penchant for getting in trouble, and that could cost him and ruin his career.  But this is football, no one is guaranteed to be able to suit up more than one game at a time.  

     Selecting Denzel Ward at fourth overall disappointed a lot of fans given that big bad Bradley Chubb was still available.  Defensive end is hugely important, and these guys get their name called all the time for sacking the qb and stopping the run.  Cornerbacks are boring. If they are very good, nothing happens all game long because the qb never throws at him.  So it may be that Ward is a much more significant force than you might imagine based on media impact.  We drafted him because we have to beat a team that has Antonio Brown on the roster.  

    If you've read Mark F Barnes' excellent reviews of Austin Corbett, this is a guy with very good OL skills who will be considered at tackle or guard if Joel Bitonio moves outside to replace Joe T.  

    Nick Chubb is a guy I've really liked.  People are worried about a knee operation 3 years ago, but he was devestating at the end of last year, 145 yards versus Oklahoma.    He is a power back, perfect for a cold weather ball control team.  

    In the 3rd round they went DE with Chad Thomas.  He is not going to start because of Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah, and Carl Nassib is pretty decent too.  They must think he's pretty good to take a defensive end at that point of the draft.  

    Anthony Calloway (Round 4)  is a first round wide receiver who can't stay out of trouble.  Can the Browns help him turn his life around?  Maybe, but we have more than our share of troubled wide receivers. 

    In the back of the draft, you start looking for specialty team players and longshots.  Probably linebacker Geneard Avery,  5th round, Damion Rately (6th), and Simieon Thomas (also 6th) will probably not start unless they make a big splash in the Pre-Season.