Every decision matters! When the Cleveland Browns traded back from No. 2 to No. 5 in a draft-day deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, I was totally comfortable with them picking up a consensus top-five player with that selection. I still have a ton of high hopes for what Mason Graham could be in the NFL, but what if this Michigan man does not develop into the next Warren Sapp? That would be bad...
Furthermore, Cleveland will get to see first-hand what a talented player Tetairoa McMillan might be in the pros now that he is on the Carolina Panthers. The Browns will travel to Charlotte on Friday night face this particular NFC South team in their first preseason game of the summer. McMillan was a sensational playmaker for the Arizona Wildcats in college. He went to the Panthers at No. 8 overall.
Although Graham was a bona-fide, top-five lock coming out, there were some NFL mock drafts that had McMillan going in the top five, maybe even a few to the Browns, who are so desperate for a high-quality wide receiver right now. To me, it still feels too farfetched for that to have happened at the time, but only time will tell when it comes to what these blue-chip prospects will become in the NFL.
Carolina is an improving team, as the Panthers could be bolstered by their passing attack this year.
Tetairoa McMillan could make Cleveland Browns pay for passing on him
Truth be told, McMillan has much bigger fish to fry than to ever care what the Browns think or ever thought of him. He joins a division with so many great wide receivers, hoping to prove his worth right away from an ascending Panthers team. Carolina is probably not going to make the playoffs this season, but the Panthers could be closer than being a year away from being a year away this year.
Right now, Cleveland must put forth a solid foundation for whatever becomes of the franchise. I would not move on from head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry under any circumstance, but I am also not owner Jimmy Haslam. Either way, Graham could be a tremendous player in this league, potentially even better than McMillan. However, he does play a skill position...
What I am getting at is in the event that McMillan looks great in his first preseason game and takes off as a rookie for the Panthers, Browns fans may be experiencing second-hand buyer's remorse from their franchise's current operation. Together, Berry and Stefanski have gotten more right than wrong. However, Browns fans, and more importantly ownership, may not see it that way. What if they whiffed?
Graham could become an amazing player, but I have a feeling McMillan will be strong from the start.