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Why The Cleveland Browns Shouldn’t Make Patrick Mahomes A 1st-Round Pick In The 2017 NFL Draft

By Nick Dudukovich

Nov 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) warms up on the bench during the game against the Baylor Bears at AT&T Stadium. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 54-35. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) warms up on the bench during the game against the Baylor Bears at AT&T Stadium. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 54-35. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns may have the opportunity to draft Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, unfortunately, the Browns can’t afford to gamble on such a raw talent in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

How Patrick Mahomes‘ stock has skyrocketed leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft speaks to two things: 1, NFL coaches love guys with big arms and 2, quarterbacks will forever be overvalued on draft day because of the importance of the position.

Take those two perceptions and the next thing you know, Texas Tech Gunslinger Patrick Mahomes went from being a nice developmental project who could be had in the second or third round, to a quarterback who’s been mocked as high as the 12th pick in the entire draft.

There’s a lot to like about Mahomes’ game. He’s been compared to Brett Favre because of his Gunslinger demeanor–awfully big shoes to fill. If you had to put money on Mahomes’ career ceiling, more likely than not, you wouldn’t bet on Mahomes becoming the second coming of Favre.

With that said, Mahomes may go on to have a great career. Just don’t count on it happening with the Cleveland Browns.

Mahomes never saw anything close to resembling an NFL defense while racking up statistics playing Big 12. Remember, this is the same conference that had some convinced that Brandon Weeden could be a winning NFL quarterback.

If Mahomes is going to succeed, would’t he be better off with a team that already has a quarterback in place? Pundits  love his game, but no one is ready to make him a starter in year one.

And you know how Cleveland goes through quarterbacks. If Mahomes gets drafted by the Browns, he will play at some point in 2017. It’s just a matter of time before his name would be added to the infamous “quarterback jersey.”

This is a kid who’s going to struggle having to play under center, as NFL Films producer Greg Cossel noted in his scouting report, via the LA Times.

"…Buried under a lot of NFL-type talent is an alarming lack of any refinement for the position at this moment. He’s someone who’s going to need to be coached hard, harnessed. He’s going to have to be receptive to the principles of being a nuanced, disciplined NFL quarterback. The playmaking mentality that he thrived on in college is going to have to be channeled and almost re-trained. He needs to be receptive to that.”"

Wouldn’t it just be the Browns luck to see the Steelers take Mahomes late in the first round? Pittsburgh would have the benefit of sitting him behind Ben Roethisberger for three years until Big Ben is ready to pass the torch.

Or what about Bruce Arians, the coach the Browns seemed to go out of their way not to hire? He’s sitting at No. 13 and he has a quarterback in place who can help him win this season. Arians could scoop up Mahomes, develop him and be ready to go with him when Palmer calls it quits.

This is a problem the Browns face by being consistently bad and undergoing seemingly never ending regime changes. The franchise is stuck in a hamster wheel, trying to catch up.

Next: ESPN's Bill Barnwell Giving 'Analytics' Advice To The Browns?

If Hue Jackson and his Harvard educated front office believe Mahomes is a future star, and they believe they can develop him properly, then go get him. But as a Browns fan, I know better than to hold my breath.

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