I realize that it's a dead period right now as far as sports is concerned. NFL season is over, NBA just started back up after the All-Star break, MLB Spring Training just started up but it's also way too soon to be talking about baseball.
So the Cleveland media outlets and even some podcasts channels are filling in this period with waaaaayyyyy too early talk and speculation about who the Cleveland Browns are definitely gonna draft in APRIL'S NFL Draft.
First of all, the NFL Scouting Combine has not happened. Whether or not the combine matters anymore is a debate for another day. The combine still has a major impact on a player's draft stock, it still can determine whether a player goes higher or lower than expected. Team executives talk business with each other about trades. Which Myles Garrett will be heavily discussed and then watch how much news comes out there. Agents talk with teams about contract extensions, TRADES, free agency. The team scouts, believe it or not, actually do scouting because it's their Super Bowl. It happens every year that some player runs an insanely fast 40 or has some great run where they just kill it in drills and all of a sudden their draft stock catapults them into the first round and higher than where they were "predicted" before the combine. EVERYTHING changes after the combine.
Secondly, draft decisions become more clearer after the free agency period. It's not too difficult to understand, unless you're a moron, that a team starts fixing their team in free agency, at least that first wave gives you some clue as to what your team is thinking going into the draft.
Thirdly, doing mock drafts are absolutely pointless this far out from the draft. Nobody knows a damn thing right now and they're all just guessing and slotting in players that make sense for teams right now before anything even happens in free agency or the combine. People are just assuming things and we all know what happens when you ASS-U-ME things. Say what you want about Mel Kiper but you don't see anything from him as of yet except an admittedly early mock from January 22nd.
Which brings me to the draft gurus. I did some research to see where some of the best draft guys are at and what they have, more specifically for the Browns. Shockingly, nobody knows. Lets be honest with ourselves the Browns probably don't know either even though they'll all act as if they do.
So let's start with the OG Mel Kiper Jr. on ESPN. His mock from January 22nd has the Browns taking Travis Hunter.
NFL Network's Bucky Brooks mock from January 29th has the Browns taking Abdul Carter.
ESPN's Matt Miller had a 2 round mock on February 3rd with the Browns taking Travis Hunter and also taking another cornerback in the 2nd round with Trey Amos out of Ole Miss. Make it make sense.
February 7th NFL Network's Cynthia Frelund does things a bit different with her player models and other analytics but the results are the same as guessing as she has Abdul Carter as the 2nd pick in the draft.
February 9th also from the NFL Network Lance Zierlein follows up with the same as he has Abdul Carter going to the Browns at 2.
EPSN's Field Yates' post Super Bowl mock on February 11th has the Browns also taking Abdul Carter
February 17th WalterFootball's Charlie Campbel came out with a 3 round mock which becomes the first mock that I seen that has Shedeur Sanders with the Browns. North Dakota State's OT Grey Zabel at the top of the 2nd round. Miami DE Tyler Baron and Buckeye RB TreVeyon Henderson in the 3rd round. Do what you want with that info.
WalterFootball's latest mock from February 18th also has Shedeur Sanders at number 2.
But fuck it, lets get nuts and do some mocks of our own now because it's like feeding crackheads crack around these parts of Believelandia.
Fun note, if you're looking for a great way to waste an entire day of your life find yourself a mock draft simulator, I used ProFootballNetwork so shout out to them.
I went a lot of different ways with a bunch of different scenarios which is what happens when you go down this rabbit hole.
Happy Silly Season everyone!!
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