With the NFL Draft a little under two months away, much attention is on the Cleveland Browns and how they’ll be using their No. 2 overall pick. Since Cleveland has yet to find anything remotely close to a franchise quarterback, the popular assumption is the team will target that position. Though there are still a few who’d hope that the Browns will take Ohio State star Joey Bosa and boost the defense, the gaping hole at quarterback is likely too big to ignore.
For a while now, California’s Jared Goff seemed to be the consensus top QB available in the draft heading into last weekend’s NFL Combine. Though he isn’t seen as a can’t-miss prospect, Goff appeared to have more going for him than other quarterbacks available.
It looks like things have changed now that the Combine has come and gone. However, it wasn’t due to Goff struggling during his workouts; instead, North Dakota State prospect Carson Wentz has become the biggest name at QB, and is now seen by many as the player Cleveland is expected to select second overall.
This isn’t to say Goff has fallen down the board. Scouts left the Combine impressed with the Cal QB’s workout and attitude. The thought seems to be that if the Browns selected Goff, it wouldn’t be a bad move.
However, despite not coming from a major program, Wentz’s stock is skyrocketing right now. In the span of a few months, he’s gone from just simply on the radar leading up to the Senior Bowl to now being compared to Indianapolis Colts star Andrew Luck.
At the Combine, Wentz showed off the mix of arm strength and accuracy coaches crave in a quarterback. Additionally, at 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, he’s definitely built to be a franchise QB. Top it all off with some impressive interview sessions, and you can see why Wentz is receiving so much hype after this past weekend.
However, is he who the Browns should go after at No. 2?
There’s certainly a lot to like about Wentz going to Cleveland. He has plenty of physical tools necessary to be a quality QB in the brutal AFC North, and he’s known as someone who’s both very humble and very dedicated to the sport — to the point where teammates claim he’s almost always breaking down game film.
Basically, Wentz seems like the exact opposite of Johnny Manziel, the Browns’ latest attempt to find a franchise quarterback. Therefore, you’d think Cleveland would jump at the chance to bring in someone like that after the disastrous and short-lived Manziel era.
At the same time, the doubts about Wentz still remain. He still never really faced top-tier competition at North Dakota State. The common belief is he might not be ready to start right away, with some saying he might need at least a year of seasoning before being handed the reins.
One upside for the Browns in this situation is having veteran Josh McCown in the locker room. Though he’s clearly nothing more than a stopgap, McCown showed last season he was able to hold his own on the field, while also being more than willing to tutor Manziel. The hope would be that he’d be willing to take on the same duties next season with whomever Cleveland ends up selecting at quarterback.
In Wentz, it sure sounds like McCown would have a much more promising understudy than Manziel. Having a veteran willing to teach a rookie who is willing to learn would definitely be a good situation for the Browns.
As you know, the title of “best available quarterback” will likely shift back and forth between Goff and Wentz in the coming weeks. However, the hype surrounding Wentz seems to be real. Come draft day, if he is considered the consensus pick at QB, then Cleveland has to take him.
