When Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown spoke during a pre-draft news conference earlier this week, he sounded as if he were ready to draft Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett first overall and willing to trade up from No. 12 for North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said he fully endorses Garrett at No. 1, but he would not trade up from No. 12 for Mentor native Trubisky if he were calling the shots for the Browns. He’s not even sure he would select Trubisky at No. 12.
“Most of this quarterback class should be later down the line, whether it’s first round or second round,” Mayock said Friday during a conference call. “However, I think the only wild card [that could pick a QB] before [the Browns at No. 12] is the [New York] Jets at No. 6. I don’t think Buffalo’s going to take one at 10. They might. The Jets at six, I think is a huge reach for any quarterback.
“But if they fall in love with somebody, they’ve got to keep swinging because they’ve done the same thing Cleveland has — they’ve drafted a bunch of quarterbacks and none of them have panned out. You’ve got to keep swinging. So if you get past [the Jets] at six, I think it’s clear sailing till 12 unless somebody tries to get up ahead of Cleveland.”
The most common criticism about Trubisky is he only started one season at North Carolina, going 8-5 as a redshirt junior. Mayock, though, doesn’t seem as bothered by the lack of starting experience as much as some other evaluators.
“Mitch Trubisky, ironically, might be the most ready-to-play quarterback in this class, and he’s only a one-year starter,” Mayock said. “I like his pocket awareness [and] think he has good feet and a quick release. I don’t think he’s got a ceiling as high as some of the other guys, but I think he can become a solid NFL starter.”
Considering how badly the Browns need a quarterback, picking one at No. 12, especially Trubisky, coach Hue Jackson’s presumed favorite, would seem to be an easy decision. Mayock, however, doesn’t view it as a no-brainer.
“What if [Ohio State safety] Malik Hooker is still sitting there or [Ohio State cornerback and Massillon native] Gareon Conley?” Mayock said. “Is there a chance you want to get another playmaker and then either wait to trade up later in the first round because you have draft capital to do it? Or you could even trade up from [the first pick of the second round at No.] 33 up to 15, 16?
“You can make a case for Washington [at No. 17] taking a quarterback, but I doubt it there. They’ve got a lot of options open to them. [The Browns] can just go Myles Garrett one, Trubisky 12, or try and get another playmaker at 12 and come back and get the quarterback later in the first round. That’s one of the beauties of having the draft capital that they have built up.”
As for the top pick, Brown said the Browns would “be proud to have” Garrett. He revealed the franchise has received calls from other teams interested in trading for the No. 1 selection, but he added, “we feel really good about picking at one, and I’ll leave it at that.”
So it looks like the Browns staying at No. 1 and picking Garrett is the most likely scenario and only a ridiculous trade offer could prompt them to move down.
“They have to take him at No. 1,” Mayock said. “You can continue to try to move down the board all you want and pick up more picks, and I get that and I respect that. But at some point, you’ve got to start taking some difference makers, and I think he’s a difference maker.
“If you compare him to [Denver Broncos five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher] Von Miller, who came out of the same college [in 2011], this kid’s got the same explosion off the ball, the same bend, the ability to pressure a quarterback and he’s 20 pounds heavier. I think his upside is he should be a Pro Bowl defensive end.
“The only way that doesn’t happen is one of two reasons. One, he gets hurt. Or No. 2, he doesn’t want it bad enough. But his physical talent is awesome.”
Garrett isn’t a perfect prospect, though.
Former NFL defensive lineman Anthony “Booger” McFarland said last week on ESPN’s Mike and Mike he hasn’t seen Garrett’s athletic prowess translate enough into playmaking and he questions whether Garrett loves the hitting that goes with playing defensive line.
Mayock didn’t disagree, but he pointed to Garrett playing with a high-ankle sprain during the second half of last season as an explanation.
“If you watch the first tape of the season, which was UCLA, when he was completely healthy, you come away going, ‘I have absolutely no problems with this kid’s game,’” Mayock said. “He dominated the game, maybe not in the stats column, but he dominated that football game. And the more tape you watch, the more you see offensive lines sliding toward him, every team taking tight ends and/or running backs to his side. He had to beat double and triple teams all year long, and he had to do it playing through a high-ankle sprain.
“Did I always see the same consistent explosion off the ball? No, I didn’t, but I think there’s a reason behind that, and I think it’s because of the ankle. I keep going back to that UCLA tape and saying, ‘This is when he was 100 percent healthy and didn’t have a high ankle, and if this is the guy you’re getting, that’s an All-Pro defensive end.’ I understand the tape’s a little bit up and down, but I’m willing to live with that based on what I know about what he played through.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.