It goes without saying that the Browns will take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

If they do not pick a quarterback, then the fans may storm Browns Headquarters in Berea with torches and ball bats.

But at the same time, the Browns may already have someone in rookie DeShone Kizer who can develop into the franchise quarterback they so desperately need. Head coach Hue Jackson has maintained all along that Kizer will be “a winning quarterback” in the NFL. Does he still believe it?

“I’m not changing from that. Yes, I do,” Jackson said Monday, a day after the Browns, with Kizer struggling more than succeeding, fell to 0-12 with a 19-10 road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

“I think this experience for him is invaluable. He is getting real-time game reps in the National Football League against some really good defenses that have shown him where he has to improve. I think we all know players make huge improvements from year 1 to year 2 because all of a sudden, you understand the speed of the game, what it takes to win, how you prepare – everything that a National Football League quarterback has to go through as a rookie.

“I am not trying to compare DeShone to anybody (else), or anybody I have ever had or anybody I know, but I just know quarterbacks from year 1 to year 2 make huge jumps. There have been some this year that have done that. I’m not saying that he will have that kind of a jump a year from now, but I would be surprised if he is not remarkably better a year from now from this experience.”

But, if the Browns do indeed draft a quarterback with that pick, will Kizer play enough next season to be able to make that kind of improvement? Will Jackson still be here in 2018 to coach him?

All that remains to be seen, but this much we know: in a season like this, there are certainly no guarantees that anyone or anything will remain the same next season.