Who Should Cleveland Draft With #1 Pick?

With a 27-24 loss in overtime to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns find themselves back to the drawing board as they will enter the 2017 NFL draft with the #1 overall pick.

Back in the 2016 NFL Draft, we saw Cleveland trade the #2 overall pick away to the Philadelphia Eagles, which resulted in the Eagles ultimately receiving Carson Wentz.

While the Browns may try the strategy of trading down once again in 2017, it’s important to note that since it didn’t work last time, the franchise is likely not interested in trading away the pick once again.

With that, here are a few names the Browns should take interest in before they are on the clock in August:

#3 Jonathan Allen (DE, Alabama, Sr.)

Jonathan Allen was a name that could have very well been selected in the 2016 NFL draft, but the Alabama native elected to finish his last year of school, and I believe that will pay off for him.

In 2016 alone, Allen has 9.5 sacks, and is averaging 4.43 tackles per game. Cleveland has a number of gaps within its roster, and this is the opportunity to address the issue when it comes to the pass rush.

In the 2016 regular season, the Browns ranked dead last in terms of sacks with 22. In fact, the last time the Browns were above 20th when it came to sacks was back in 2013, when the defense ranked #16 in the NFL.

#2 Mitch Trubisky (QB, North Carolina, Jr.)

It’s no secret that the Browns have had no reliability when it comes to the quarterback position. Since 1999, the Browns have had 26 different individuals under center, and that formula alone is a factor in why the Browns have had little to no success in recent years.

While the 2017 draft is rather weak when it comes to the quarterback position, it’s unpromising that the franchise will believe that drafting Turbisky #1 overall is worth the selection. 

Another note to keep in mind is that the Browns have Robert Griffin III under contract until the end of the 2017 season, and it’s entirely possible that the franchise will name him the starter heading into week one of the 2017 regular season.

#1 Myles Garrett (DE, Texas A&M, Jr.)

Myles Garrett is considered the top prospect for the 2017 NFL Draft, and it’s no surprise to everyone who follows the sport.

Garrett is perhaps the purest pass rusher on the draft board for the upcoming rookie class, and according to Adam Schefter, the Browns have an astronomical grade on Garrett. 

My pick for the Browns would be to select Garrett in the upcoming draft, but you never know until the pick is announced.

Who do you believe the Browns will take with the #1 overall pick?