The Cleveland Browns feel good about their 2011 draft.
Part of that is because of the NFL lockout; there's really nothing better do in Berea than to feel good about it. Part of it is the fact they addressed some needs and added some much-needed size and athleticism to the roster. And a huge part of it is that they started the draft by trading down and picking up a 2012 first-round pick from Atlanta.
The Browns will feel even better about this draft when next year's draft rolls around.
The Browns made two first-round choices in 1994, when they got cornerback Antonio Langham and wide receiver Derrick Alexander. That was a good draft but not exactly a franchise-changer. Two years later, the franchise was gone to Baltimore.
The Ravens' first-ever draft started with two first-round picks who are future Hall of Famers: Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis. Ouch.
These "new" Browns, the post-1999 version, made two first-round picks in the same year only once, 2007. Joe Thomas was a home run. Brady Quinn was a huge swing and a bigger miss.
The goal, of course, is to go all the way back and replicate the magic the Browns made in 1978 when they started the draft by taking Clay Matthews and Ozzie Newsome. It may take these Browns years to recover from not drafting the "new" Clay Matthews after three trade-downs in 2009.
Former coaches Butch Davis and Eric Mangini can each take credit, though certainly not all of it, for keeping the Browns out of the playoffs since 2002 and being in position to need two first-round picks. If the Browns have another tough year, they could have three of the top 40 picks next year.
Nobody's thinking about that in Berea, but general manager Tom Heckert was definitely thinking about the future in the 2011 draft. This team is not a quick fix, not with so many questions about a new coach's new schemes, so many holes on the roster and such a steep climb in the AFC North. The Browns hope they aren't in the quarterback business next April, but there's no guarantee.
Having two first-rounders would make it easier to use a potential high first-rounder on a wide receiver, and next year's crop should produce at least a couple blue-chippers. The Browns still will be reshaping and restocking their defensive front. The secondary shows promise but certainly is far from a sure thing and will always be a priority in a division with the likes of Mike Wallace and A.J. Green in opposing receiving corps.
Recent history shows that teams have made leaps by way of multiple first-round picks, but there's no blueprint.
The Lions went defensive line/running back in the 2010 draft, and the Saints did the same this year. The Lions appear to have done well with Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best. The Saints' picks from 10 days ago are still waiting to be allowed to report to work.
The 49ers went with two offensive linemen in 2010's first round. Not only is it too early to judge them, but it's nearly impossible to do so until the 49ers find their quarterback.
Yes, it all comes down to the quarterback in the NFL.
The Falcons got theirs, Matt Ryan, with the third overall pick in 2008 and got his left tackle, Sam Baker, 18 picks later. That's a winner. The Lions got theirs, Matt Stafford, and a pretty good young tight end in Brandon Pettigrew in the '09 first round. If the Lions can keep their skill players healthy, they look like a team that's going to be pretty good the next few years.
The Redskins drafted Jason Campbell with the second of their two first-rounders in 2005. They were a pick too late to get Aaron Rodgers. The Redskins have never really recovered from not hitting a bigger home run in 2000 when they used the Nos. 2 and 3 overall picks on LaVar Arrington and Chris Samuels.
As you might remember, the Browns started that draft with Courtney Brown. The Bengals followed with Peter Warrick. The Ravens drafted Jamal Lewis at No. 5 and won the Super Bowl the next year. The other guys never shook the injury bug.
Heckert never had two first-round picks in the same year when he held the same job with the Eagles, but he had the same aggressive mindset on draft weekend he has shown in two years with the Browns. He traded a first-rounder to get offensive line anchor Jason Peters. He showed a penchant for taking linemen on both sides of the ball. His track record says he likes fast corners and second-round pass-catchers. If only Greg Little can someday be half the receiving threat DeSean Jackson has become.
The Ravens got a stud in Terrell Suggs in 2003 and a dud in Kyle Boller nine picks later. In between, the Steelers traded up for a guy named Troy Polamalu. With back-to-back first-rounders at Nos. 17 and 18, the Cardinals got Bryant Johnson and Calvin Pace. That would a blueprint for the Browns to avoid.
Come August, whether the NFL is open for training camp business or not, the Browns will send their college scouts to campuses nationwide. Their goal? Help find the next Jonathan Ogden-Ray Lewis combo. And, next April, bring them to a team that's going to stay — and, hopefully, thrive — in Cleveland.
