Cleveland Browns Land DeShaun Watson In PFF Mock

The 2016 NFL Draft just ended and mocks for 2017 have already been made. Where are the Cleveland Browns selecting in Pro Football Focus’ recent mock?

The Cleveland Browns believe in their long-term approach and for at least 2016, their quarterback situation is something they can stand behind on. Hue Jackson knows plenty regarding quarterbacks and there are multiple reasons why he wanted Robert Griffin III and Cody Kessler as two of those players.

That is great and all, but Griffin is no sure thing (although there are plenty of people including myself, who is confident that he will be much better in 2016 than he was in 2014). Despite drafting 14 players last week, there are still holes on the roster. Since the draft ended, more mocks from companies/websites have been created.

Pro Football Focus’ mock was done by Senior Analyst Steve Palazzolo. The draft order was from Las Vegas’ odds to win the Super Bowl.

The odds were certainly not in the Cleveland Browns favor as they had the first pick in PFF’s mock. Selecting that high shows that Griffin did not play well enough so Clemson QB DeShaun Watson was their pick.

The odds were certainly not in the Cleveland Browns favor as they had the first pick in PFF’s mock. Selecting that high shows that RG3 would not have play well enough, so Clemson QB Deshaun Watson was their first selection.

The second first round pick the Cleveland Browns have via the Philadelphia Eagles was seventh overall, where Cleveland was paired with Michigan State defensive end Malik McDowell. Acquiring McDowell instantly helps Cleveland’s pass rush.

McDowell has the versatility to play both as a defensive tackle and as an end. Getting the most out of a player at his position is something all teams look for, but given how the player plays in a number of looks plays into Cleveland’s “Moneyball approach” quite well. The more McDowell can do, the better, and Cleveland’s defense would greatly benefit from having him.

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If Griffin proves to not be the long-term answer, then the Cleveland Browns need a great replacement. It will be a few years before Kessler should even be considered for any playing time during meaningful games. Should Cleveland be selecting somewhere in the top five-10 and Watson is their guy, then they certainly have the resources needed to trade up to get him if needed.

Watson, understandably is the best quarterback right now for next year’s draft, but there are a couple of players who could give a run for Watson’s money. They are Miami (FL)’s Brad Kaaya and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.

The 2016 draft class has more hit and miss quarterback prospects than next year’s. In 2017, there are more quarterbacks who can step in much earlier and play well.

Now not many of the quarterbacks in this year’s class or in 2017 will be franchise-level players (only a few teams have a franchise quarterback). However, a good chunk of them will be in the league eight to 10 seasons playing solid football.

Next: Five Ways The Browns' Draft Affects Roster

Plenty has to be played out with the Cleveland Browns draft class this season and not every pick (specifically wide receivers) is going to work out. That said, I would be in favor of adding USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and any of the top running backs too. Looking at Cleveland’s team now, should they have to go QB in 2017, how do they not do whatever it takes to acquire Watson during the draft?

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