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Deshaun Watson Changing Minds About The Cleveland Browns Draft?

By Nick Dudukovich

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Does your opinion regarding the 2017 Cleveland Browns draft change after watching Deshaun Watson wow the country in a win over Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide?

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson had his final NFL audition, leading the Clemson Tigers to a College Football Playoff title game victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide Monday night.

In making national title appearances the last two seasons, Watson’s gone from being a consensus No. 1 pick, to going somewhere in the first round, to top-10 lock, back to being the No. 1 player taken.

There’s no sillier season than mock draft season.

After a slow start in which Alabama’s defense made the Heisman finalist look confused, the quarterback ended up throwing for 420 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 43 yards and another touchdown on the ground en route to capping off his collegiate career with a national championship.

On the same day Mentor native Mitch Trubisky declared himself eligible for the NFL draft, a sect of the Twitterverse took the interweb to declare the Browns should take the Clemson signal caller No. 1.

Other knuckleheads started Tweeting and creating memes declaring Watson’s career is over because the Browns own the No. 1 pick.

The Browns can’t overthink this. With the No. 1 and No. 12 overall picks in the upcoming draft, the franchise must come away with one of the top three signal callers in the draft.

Alabama coach Nick Saban called Watson “the best player in college football since Cam Newton” when he said Clemson should be ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls last summer. Watson may not have Newton’s size, but at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he’s no slouch either. Watson can take a hit, as he showed against Alabama’s strong, fast defense.

If the Browns decree that Watson is their choice, celebrate it. We’ll be getting a great young prospect, Dawg Pound.

However, if you’re punching the clock at the rumor mill, you know the Browns are reportedly enamored with Trubisky, who starred in his one year as a starter at UNC. The local product has some making comparisons to how Bernie Kosar maneuvered his way to the Browns from the University of Miami.

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Don’t be surprised if you hear the Browns talking up Watson prior to the draft with a plan to trade down and grab Trubisky, according to PFT’s Mike Florio.

“With Cleveland supposedly infatuated with North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky, there’s a chance that the Browns could trade the top pick to a team that wants Watson and then pick Trubisky at a lower spot in the pecking order. That way, they can claim that they got the guy they would have taken with the first pick plus plenty of picks and/or players for trading down a few spots.”

Watson’s proved that he’s a leader who has the talent to win in the NFL. Twice, he’s taken Nick Saban’s defense–full of future NFL Draft picks–to the limit, triumphing once.

Next: Best and Worst Buckeye Draft Decisions

He has the attitude, demeanor and attributes to be a winning NFL quarterback.

Cleveland should be so lucky to have him.

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