Having the number two overall pick changed the course of a franchise just one year ago
As a Cleveland Browns supporter, this season was one that we all would like to forget after going 3-14. The performance was so bad that the team now has the number two overall pick in the upcoming draft.
The team that had the second pick in last year’s draft was the Washington Commanders. Last year, the Commanders went 4-13 and had a total overhaul from new ownership to hiring a new GM and head coach.
In free agency, Washington took a unique approach by prioritizing veteran players who most thought had little left in the tank. Ultimately it was the decision to draft quarterback Jayden Daniels with the number two overall pick that transformed the fate of the franchise.
Daniels is in the midst of perhaps the greatest rookie season ever after leading Washington to the NFC Championship game by beating the heavily favored Detroit Lions in the divisional round 45-31.
While the Browns decided to stay the course at GM and head coach, the team has a big decision to make at the QB position moving forward. Cleveland also has more perceived talent across the roster than the Commanders had after last season.
It’s fair to wonder if the Browns are one special rookie quarterback away from making a run to an AFC title game. The question is, is there one worth taking at the top of the draft?
For Cleveland, the Tennessee Titans may be standing in the way of getting their guy. There have been several reports of the Titans being enamored with Cam Ward.
Interestingly, Ward has experienced a meteoric surge similar to what Daniels had in his final college season. Last year the Bears had the number one pick and chose Caleb Williams over Daniels as he was pegged as the top prospect by most draft experts.
Ward’s momentum has been building for weeks as the top quarterback in this coming draft. Many believe that Shedeur Sanders is the next best option in this coming draft and should be considered for the Browns despite questions of whether Deion Sanders would step in to object to them selecting his son.
With a little over three months to go before making their final decision, Cleveland has much to consider and evaluate in choosing who to select in the draft. Hoping the Browns could catch lightning in a bottle with the number two pick two years in a row is a tall task.
Maybe, just maybe, Cleveland will decide that the analytics of that possibility are too low and take a swing at a veteran option for 2025.
What do you think? Is Ward or Sanders capable of getting the Browns to a conference championship next year? Let us know in the comments below.