The 2017 NFL Draft will be upon us in late April, with the Cleveland Browns possessing the top overall pick. Now, yes, the Browns absolutely do need help at the quarterback position. They used three separate quarterback starters this past season. They were functional at best; disastrous at worst. Because of this, Cleveland fans are already looking for one the 2017 Draft, featuring top candidates Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, and Mitch Trubisky. Yet, none of them fit well with the Browns, which, sadly, is nothing new. Watson isn’t built for the AFC North, Kizer doesn’t seem to know how to win big games, and Trubisky seems underdeveloped. So what’s the average suffering Browns fan to do? Please, wait just one more year. And at last, enter USC quarterback and 2018 NFL Draft prospect, Sam Darnold.
Patience Is A Virtue: The Cleveland Browns And Sam Darnold
Past Performances
Sam Darnold is a bit of an interesting player, judging by backstory alone. While Darnold sat on the bench at the start of this season, teams were eating starting quarterback Max Browne alive. After a 1-2 season start and a collective 79-16 thrashing by Alabama and Stanford, coach Clay Helton decided it was time to make a change. Helton loved Browne and the character and skills that he provided, but he knew that Darnold was just…better. Darnold’s first game was somewhat shaky, but the potential was there. A 31-27 loss to the Utah Utes could deter neither Helton nor Darnold. And then, it happened. Finally, the proverbial lightbulb in the head went on, and the USC offense just clicked.
Darnold and the Trojans won out. Yes, seriously. After a 1-3 start, the Trojans went on a nine-game winning streak. During that time, USC outscored its opponents 359-198 and doubled up their opponents in five of those games. And that win streak continued into the off-season in what many football fans consider to be one of the best college football games ever.
Current Successes: The 2017 Rose Bowl
On January 2nd, 2017, the annual Rose Bowl game was played. The fourth quarter is what made Sam Darnold a household name, and it may just define his college career. He had two amazing drives to tie the game up at 49-49. After Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley threw a heartbreaking interception, Matt Boermeester made a game-winning field goal to win it for USC, 52-49. But on those two drives, on those two dead-eye accurate drives, Sam Darnold proved himself as a special talent.
Future Potential
Darnold has the potential to be a special quarterback at the pro level. He takes the aforementioned shortcomings of Watson, Kizer, and Trubisky, and fixes them. And he has shown the “x-factor”: that special, unidentifiable quality that few players possess. Sam Darnold has “it.” And standing a 6’4 and weighing 225 pounds, Darnold has the size to be a prototype NFL quarterback. In addition, he’ll be starting for the Trojans for another year, giving him extra experience. Darnold will have the opportunity to start in up to 24 games in college, which is plenty of pre-NFL experience.
What Waiting Means for Cleveland
The Browns can really only achieve success by waiting for Darnold. Because as shocking as it might seem, their most dire need isn’t at quarterback. Cleveland’s defense is bad. Historically bad. Their most desperate need (defensive lineman) might be cured with the number one pick. Both Myles Garrett and Jonathan Allen are viable options, but Garrett seems to be gathering more attention from scouts, coaches, and fans.
With their second first-round pick coming from the Philadelphia Eagles at number 12, the Browns have a plethora of choices. If safeties Jamal Adams and Malik Hooker aren’t there, Cleveland might want to think about trading down. This yields two great outcomes for Cleveland. Firstly, they can take Michigan linebacker/punt returner/everything Jabrill Peppers later in the round. Then, they can move into the 2018 Draft with enough draft pick ammunition to choke a horse. Hopefully, the Browns’ new and improved defense can move them out of the top spot for 2018. At that point, they’ll (again, hopefully) need to trade up for the first pick. That’s where Darnold comes in.
Perhaps they spend the rest of 2017’s draft preparing the way for Darnold. They build a proper offensive line and work on their defense. They grab one or two stud playmakers at skill positions to work alongside Terrelle Pryor on offense. And then, the Browns are ready to bring Sam Darnold in to succeed almost immediately. Cleveland’s front office and management are simply not patient enough to let Hue Jackson and his coaching staff survive much longer than that. And yeah, maybe getting your quarterback last might be a backward way to rebuild. But at this point, the Browns have to go with whatever works. And this currently has the best chance of truly paying off.
