Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns: No need to overthink the No. 1 overall pick

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:43 p.m. ET

Fansided, Steven Kubitza/FanSided via Dawg Pound Daily

The Cleveland Browns need to be smart for once and take the most talented player with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Cleveland Browns have yet another opportunity to draft a player who can help turnaround the franchise. Sound familiar?

Going 1-15 and “earning” the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft puts the Browns in a position where failure is seemingly impossible. But this is the Browns, so fans will be skeptical of any player selected with the top pick.

The NFL Draft is always a time of excitement and optimism for Browns fans, but that is only because so many picks are busts and the new picks are supposed to be a beacon of hope.

But things changed last year when Sashi Brown and his group took over, ushering in an era where the team was committed to starting over and building through the NFL Draft. That continues in 2017, with the No. 1 pick essentially being an expected part of the plan that was put in place before last season.

Brown has a chance to establish himself as the savior of the franchise by being smart and using the No. 1 and No. 12 overall picks wisely. Unlike past executives, he cannot make the mistake of allowing those around him to get excited about a player’s flashiness (Johnny Manziel), instead of drafting talent (Derek Carr).

This brings us to this upcoming Draft with Myles Garrett as the top choice with the No. 1 overall pick. His stock could change over the next few months, but his talent is not going to diminish. So as long as the Browns don’t learn some secret information about his health, there is no reason why the team should pass up on him if he is the consensus No. 1 pick.

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Going over the different possibilities in mock drafts is fun, but the Browns must just focus on talent with the No. 1 pick. Defensive end may not be the biggest need right now, but having the first overall pick in the Draft means a team should be taking the most talented player, regardless of position.

So if Garrett is clearly the most talented, the Browns must take him. The No. 12 pick can be used on any player the Browns want, or even in a trade, but the team cannot afford to pick another bust in the top-10.

There is no guarantee that Garrett will turn out to be a star, but the odds are in the Browns’ favor. He has shown enough in college to prove why teams are rating him so highly, and his position allows for his work to serve as a likely preview of what is yet to come. It is different for quarterbacks, who may not be able to adjust to the speed of the NFL, or even have the mental toughness it takes to run an offense.

So while the scouting and the mock drafts continue, the Browns should be learning all they can about Myles Garrett, as he should be first on their radar.