2018 NFL Mock Draft: Cleveland Browns select Josh Rosen No. 1
By Brad Weiss
The Cleveland Browns are still looking for their first win of the 2017 NFL season, and currently are slated to pick No. 1 overall next April.
The 2018 NFL Draft is currently five months away, but it is never too early to think about what the draft might actually look like. Heading into Week 12 of the NFL season, the Cleveland Browns are still looking for their first win, and are likely headed towards the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second straight year. The San Francisco 49ers have been just as terrible, as have the New York Giants, but Cleveland remains the only winless team in the league.
As we inch towards the playoffs, teams have started to distinguish themselves as the haves, and the have-nots. There is still a lot of football left to play this season, but you are beginning to see needs become more and more prevalent as the weeks go by. With that said, it is time to take a gander at what players might be headed where next April.
Here is a look at our latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft.
Josh Rosen
Quarterback, UCLA
Another week, another loss for the Cleveland Browns, who are finding new ways to lose this season. On Sunday, they actually had a chance to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, as their defense played well, but a Jags defensive touchdown sealed the deal in the fourth quarter. Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer has struggled mightily under center, and with the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Browns should look to bring in someone they can call the future.
Kizer is not a bad quarterback, but he is playing with limited weapons, and star offensive tackle Joe Thomas is done for the season. The real issue is he is not ready to be a starter in the NFL, though I am sure in time he may be able to be a serviceable signal-caller in the league. However, this Browns franchise does not have that kind of time, and it the front office has to get it right picking first overall.
With that pick, the Browns should look to select Josh Rosen, who outplayed Sam Darnold when the two met up last week in a huge Pac-12 matchup. Rosen just has the look of a starting NFL quarterback, and while he makes mistakes, he is not as turnover-prone as Darnold is at this point. Both of these players may wind up being elite quarterbacks in the league one day, but it looks like Rosen has the leg up on Darnold right now.