The incredible – even historic — warmth at the end of September has us still embracing summer, or at least the memory of it.
Now it is the middle of the first week of October. The leaves haven’t really changed color much yet, let alone fallen.
Thanksgiving? Christmas? New Year’s Day?
We’re not even to Sweetest Day, or Halloween, for goodness sake.
And yet in one respect, we’ve fast-forwarded through the colors of fall, the Macy’s Parade, the holidays, the brutal cold of January and the first part of February and into a time when warmer temperatures – and new leaves on the trees — are starting to return.
That’s right, in Cleveland, some people are already starting to look forward to the 2018 NFL Draft.
That’s what happens when the Browns are off to an 0-4 start after finishing 1-15 a year ago.
The wonderful website, especially when it comes to football, that I keep telling you about, sportsillustrated.com, has come out with its mock draft.
The piece has the Browns picking No. 1 overall – again. Imagine that?
And with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns select …
Saquon Barkley, running back, Penn State.
Here’s what writer Brad Weiss says about Barkley:
“The Cleveland Browns were beaten pretty badly in Week 4, as quarterback DeShone Kizer called it a “wake-up call.” Well, the Browns are exactly who we thought they would be in 2017 and this season is really just another building block. Kizer has shown he can definitely play the position at the NFL level, and for that reason, there is no way they take a quarterback with the first overall pick.
“That pick should be a cornerstone running back and Saquon Barkley from Penn State is just that. While running backs usually do not go first overall, Barkley is a player like we have not seen in a long time. Just this past week, the junior threw a touchdown pass, as well as returned a kick 98 yards for a score, showing he can do just about anything within the white lines of a football field.
“The Browns have had to roll with Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson at running back, and they are fine supplementary players. If they hope to take it to the next level, they need a playmaker that is going to do damage all over the field. That player is Barkley, who by all accounts, is the best player in college football right now. He would not only be a safe pick but a great pick at No. 1.”
And at No. 12 overall, with the choice they got from the Houston Texans in the trade involving quarterback Brock Osweiler, the Cleveland Browns select …
Tarvarus McFadden, cornerback, Florida State.
According to Weiss:
“If the season ended tomorrow, the Cleveland Browns would pick twice in the first 12 picks, thanks to a trade they made during the 2017 NFL Draft. The Browns traded with the Houston Texans so that the team could go up and get Deshaun Watson, who has looked terrific early on. For the Browns, they should get a playmaker for their offense first overall, and then look to bolster the back-end of their defense with their second pick.
“Tarvarus McFadden would be the best cornerback in nearly any draft class, but this one just happens to feature Minkah Fitzpatrick as well. McFadden is one of the more versatile players in all of college football, and he is going to be a fun one to watch at the next level. Not only can he play cornerback, but he could also play safety, and has the talent to be a dominant return man on special teams.
“The Browns need to stockpile guys like McFadden, and they will likely do so with all the draft picks they have coming up. They improved their secondary by selecting safety Jabrill Peppers in the first round last year, and could bring in a guy to replace Joe Haden at the cornerback position. They are currently in a rebuilding mode, for what seems to be the last decade, so they have to make sure they get good players with the plethora of draft picks they currently have control over.”
Well, then, what do you think?
Yeah, I thought so. I thought the same thing.
This draft staff is ridiculous. The Browns desperately need to beat the New York Jets on Sunday.
