NFL Draft 2013: Cleveland Browns Could Draft Geno Smith in First Round
By Josh Hill
It’s no secret that the Cleveland Browns need help in a ton of areas on their roster. But one area that needs to be addressed, and an area that is almost certainly going to be addressed is the quarterback position. The team signed Jason Campbell in the offseason to play in a back-up role, and even though Brandon Weeden seems to be the starter, the Browns are hardly sold on him.
Which means, the NFL Draft will be used as a way for Cleveland to get some answers at quarterback. Some believe that they will take E.J. Manuel or Matt Barkley, but Sports Illustrated’s Peter King believes that the Browns could look at Geno Smith in the first round.
“Don’t let the smokescreen acquisition of Jason Campbell, a backup, fool you,” King wrote. “Browns want a QB in this draft, and they get one.”
King also wrote that the Browns are looking to trade down and could help out a team later in the top of the first-round looking to grab one of the three top tackles in the draft.
Another team that wants to trade out badly,” King said. “The Browns might figure they can trade down a few spots and still get Geno Smith if that’s who they want; maybe one of the tackle-loving teams — Buffalo, San Diego, Miami — will figure if Joeckel and Fisher are gone here, the only way to get Lane Johnson is to move ahead of Arizona at seven.”
If the Browns trade down, they would possibly be able to pick up a second round pick, which is something they don’t’ have at the moment thanks to drafting Josh Gordon in last year’s supplemental draft. This intensifies the notion that the Browns could take a quarterback, but it may not be Smith. If the Browns traded back and miss on Geno Smith, that’s a case where E.J. Manuel is an possibility.