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Browns: Remembering the time Cleveland passed on Julio Jones in the 2011 NFL Draft

By Chad Porto

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 28: Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns announces Phil Taylor as the #21 overall pick by the Browns on stage during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 28, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 28: Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns announces Phil Taylor as the #21 overall pick by the Browns on stage during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 28, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /
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Looking back at the time the Browns essentially traded Julio Jones away.

It was 2011, the Browns were picking 6th in the 2011 NFL Draft. The entire world wanted them to take Julio Jones if he was still there at pick no. 6. He was. The fans were ecstatic. Then they weren’t. The Browns traded with the Atlanta Falcons, and the Falcons took Jones at that spot. This was during Tom Heckert’s time with the team, so you know in hindsight this wasn’t going to be a good thing.

Cleveland traded down to the 26th pick and got back a 2011 second and fourth-round pick, as well as a 2012 first and fourth-round pick. Not bad. Not great.

Heckert’s entire claim to fame as Browns GM was drafting Joe Haden and T.J. Ward. He did get Jordan Cameron in 2011, but that was more luck than anything. The Browns ended trading back up to the 21st pick, and gave up a third-rounder to do so, and drafted DT Phil Taylor. Ironically Peyton Hillis announced the pick for Cleveland that year.

What could go wrong?

The Browns also drafted WR Greg Little and FB Owen Marecic to close the Falcons picks in 2011. In 2012, the Browns used the Falcons picks to draft QB Brandon Weedon in the first round, and then packaged their fourth-round pick in a deal with Denver to move up to get DT John Hughes. Not great.

Taylor, Little, Marecic, Weedon, and Hughes for Jones.

Pretty dang lopsided.

Not the only mistake that day.

Missing out on Julio Jones in 2011 was bad enough. The Browns also missed out on J.J. Watt, Mike Pouncey, Ryan Kerrigan, Cameron Jordan, and Cameron Heyward. Clevland wasn’t done missing out, because in 2012 they missed out on David DeCastro, Dont’a Hightower, and Harrison Smith.

Considering all the players of talent that Cleveland passed on, and it from it all stemming from them thinking they could maximize the pick in a trade, it really does go down as one of the worst deals of all time.

Trading for Jones now does no one any good, and just puts the Browns in a tougher position salary-wise going forward. Cleveland has a chance to avoid a second bad trade that centers around Jones.

Let’s hope this time they pay attention.

Next. Browns: 5 free agents that Cleveland could give a chance to. dark

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