Even if Manziel lights it up, you can’t trust him. It’s like Josh Gordon, but at a far more critical position. For that reason, if he declares, I’m inclined to take Jared Goff from Cal. He’s a student of the game, like Chad Pennington, but without the injury concerns or pop gun arm. Goff can make every throw at the next level, has excellent footwork and proper throwing mechanics, and has had his best games against top tier talent, rising to the challenge. Look no further than his 542 yard, 5 TD, O INT performance against Arizona State for Bowl eligibility.

If Goff doesn’t declare (and it’s not a given that he will), I’m all for taking the 6’6″ 235lb Paxton Lynch from Memphis. While not as NFL ready as Goff out of the gate, a case could easily be made that his athleticism grants him a higher ceiling than Goff (who has a higher floor). It’s the Bortles/Bridgewater argument from a year ago (though the 6’4″ Goff is significantly more athletic than Bridgewater was).

Like Bortles, Lynch will need to clean up his mechanics to be successful at the next level. His footwork is poor, but I’ve noticed he does an excellent job squaring up his shoulders before attempting a throw.

While it should be noted that Goff has a year of eligibility left, his coach at Memphis, Justin Fuente, has just accepted the head coaching job at Virginia Tech, all but ensuring Lynch will declare for the 2016 NFL draft.

Now, should neither Goff or Lynch declare for the 2016 draft, I think you have to look at taking DE Joey Bosa from Ohio State. I’ll probably get a ton of flack for writing this, but unless he adds mass to his frame I believe the 6’6″ 275lb Bosa would be a better fit as an OLB in a 3-4 (think Willie McGinest/Terrell Suggs) than a DE. Bosa is an inch taller and 15 lbs lighter than Watt, and I don’t believe he will be as dominant at the next level at that size.

Now, an interesting aside. The strength of this draft is in the underclassmen. Only 4 seniors, DeForest Buckner (DE/Oregon), Taylor Decker (OT/Ohio State), Reggie Ragland (ILB/Alabama) and Connor Cook (QB/Michigan State) are regularly ranked in the top 25 player rankings for the 2016 NFL draft. That means that 84% of the talent expected to be available in the top 25 selections of the draft have the option of returning for at least one more year of school, making the 2016 NFL draft extremely volatile.

That should make things extremely interesting for draftniks trying to make early mock drafts (see Browns fans) and add significance to the NFL scouting combine.

Who’s gonna be making the pick? If it’s Farmer then I’d trade the first overall pick for 2 seventh rounders because he gets more production out of them anyway.

http://fox8.com/2015/12/07/mike-polk-puts-in-just-as-much-effort-as-browns-in-this-weeks-browns-hangover/

I opened for this guy once.

if this is a strong draft class or could get a established player, i would trade for multiple picks and get the current in house qb’s some playmakers.

Connor Cook. He’s red shirt senior so he has had 5 years of experience with a pro style offence. And is playing at a very high level IMO being what has been asked of him this year.

Goff and Lynch come from Air Raid offence that have had a 100% fail rate at producing NFL franchise QB’s. I am not inclined to think the Browns will have the coaching/teaching prowess to buck that trend and be the 1st.

I think that no matter who we choose, Haslam is going to enforce that they are squeaky clean off the field and they are the hardest working dude in the locker room. I think he’s done with character risks.

@DawgSoldier from your lips to NFL.com’s ear:

The scoop: “The most polarizing guy in the draft is going to be Connor Cook. Watch. Scouts argue about him all the time. We’ve seen him long enough that everyone’s mind is made up already. He’s a third-rounder to me and an average starter at best.” — NFC regional scout on the Michigan State QB

The skinny: As a three-year starter, Cook has put quite a bit of tape out there to study, and many times, those players get treated more harshly because all of their warts are known. Cook has been a productive starter who has shown improvement each year, but there are still questions about his accuracy on the NFL level and whether or not he can be a team leader in the locker room and on the field. While Cook might be polarizing, he’s also a quality quarterback, and quality quarterbacks rarely fall very far outside of the second round.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000597795/article/scout-qb-connor-cook-a-thirdrounder-average-starter-at-best

QB’ing in the NFL is all about education, film study and is played above the shoulders. Of the 3 QB’s Goff Lynch and Cook has SHOWN the most in this department on film.

Based on what? Your opinion? And what film are you watching? Cook threw for under 200 yards and completed less than 60% of his passes in 5 of his starts this year. Goff didn’t throw for less than 268 yards in a single game this season and completed less than 60% of his passes just 3 times. Cook is widely regarded as a “gunslinger” and Goff is considered by many to be a true student of the game.

“He clearly has room for improvement in several areas, but Goff is the type of quarterback who understands his deficiencies and what he needs to do in order to improve. And that’s why scouts are optimistic for his future.”
–Dane Brugler & Rob Rang (12/1/15)

After all if it was all about having a good arm and being Athletic RG3 and Kapernick would be franchise QB’s….but that’s not the case.

I completely agree on this point, but you have not satisfied the burden of proof for your assertion that Cook works harder in the film room and makes better decisions on the field.