2018 NFL Draft: John Dorsey outlines what Cleveland Browns want in QB
The Cleveland Browns have a desperate need for talent entering the 2018 NFL Draft. The criteria for general manager John Dorsey includes finding a winner.
The Cleveland Browns have the No. 1 and No. 4 overall selections in the 2018 NFL Draft—prime position to select a franchise quarterback. Cleveland is also in possession of the No. 33 and No. 35 overall draft choices, which could enable it to find said player in Round 2.
Regardless of when the Browns select a quarterback in 2018, a question has inevitably surfaced: What exactly is Cleveland looking for?
No franchise has struggled more to find a franchise quarterback than the Browns. More than 20 players have started under center for Cleveland since 1999, and no player has started more than 34 games at the position for the franchise since Tim Couch.
According to Patrick Maks of ClevelandBrowns.com, general manager John Dorsey will look to buck that trend by finding a quarterback who knows how to win.
"“Do they win?” he told reporters in Mobile, Alabama. “Do they have the physical skills necessary to play that position? Do they have a strong arm? Do they have deep ball accuracy? Do they have feet? Can they extend the play? Are they a leader of men?”“We could go on and on,” he continued, “but at the end of the day, it’s about winning.”"
That may cut the list of players down from the entire field to the select few players who won at a high level during their college careers.
Baker Mayfield was the lone quarterback with a Round 1 grade who led his team to a College Football Playoff. Sam Darnold compiled a 21-4 record as a starter, including an unforgettable victory during the 2017 Rose Bowl.
Lamar Jackson and Josh Rosen helped their respective teams overachieve, which could be weighed in the discussion, but played in few meaningful games down the stretch of a season.
It’s also worth noting that Josh Allen had a 16-11 record during his college career, yet remains an option to go No. 1 overall in the eyes of analysts.
We may not know who the Browns believe to be a viable option until the start of the 2018 NFL Draft. If the criteria is winning, however, it’s Darnold and Mayfield who stand out from the rest with records of 21-4 and 39-9.
It’s unclear how that will translate to the NFL, but both quarterbacks fit the criteria as far as winning at a high level is concerned.
Must Read: 2018 NFL Draft: What the top quarterbacks have to prove at the Scouting Combine
The question is: Which quarterback will the Cleveland Browns ultimately select at the 2018 NFL Draft?