NFL Draft 2017 Rumors: Cleveland Browns Could Trade, Pick Mitchell Trubisky With Top Selection

For weeks, it’s been widely assumed that the Cleveland Browns would select Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett with the No.1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Garrett is one of the best college football prospects in recent years, and Cleveland can still address another area of need with the No.12 pick in the first round.

As the start of the draft approaches, however, the Browns’ top choice no longer appears to be an absolute certainty. Cleveland is still expected to take Garrett, but the possibility of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky going first overall is in play.

According to multiple reports, the Browns are hoping to grab Trubisky at some point in the first round. Previous mock drafts had the North Carolina product falling to Cleveland at No.12, but the signal caller could be off the board before the Browns make their second pick. That might cause Cleveland to trade up in the draft, even going as high as No.2 in order to make sure they get their quarterback.

The Browns certainly have the assets to make a trade that would get them another top selection. In addition to the No.12 overall pick, Cleveland owns the No.33 pick and the No.52 pick.

The Tennessee Titans have reportedly been fielding offers for the No.5 overall pick, and they could trade down before the first round begins. With the New York Jets sitting at No.6 and no viable starting quarterback on their roster, teams like the Browns that are eyeing Trubisky could look to make a swap with Tennessee. Cleveland, however, might trade up even further to make sure they get Trubisky.

The San Francisco 49ers could certainly use a quarterback, though it doesn’t seem like they are going to grab Trubisky with the second overall selection. The Chicago Bears are expected to go defense with the No.3 pick after signing quarterback Mike Glennon in the offseason. The Jacksonville Jaguars could be targeting running back Leonard Fournette at No.4 overall, but they have been rumored as a potential trade partner for Cleveland.

No NFL team has had more trouble than the Browns in trying to find a starting quarterback over the last two decades. It started when Cleveland made Tim Couch the first overall selection in the 1999 NFL Draft. Making 59 starts, Couch went 22-37 with a 75.1 passer rating, becoming one of the biggest busts in NFL history. Since Couch’s final season in 2003, the Browns have started 22 different quarterbacks, including three in 2016.

Cody Kessler didn’t put up bad numbers as a rookie last year, posting a 92.3 passer rating with six touchdowns and two interceptions. But the USC product went 0-8 after being drafted in the third round, and the team probably doesn't view him as the answer going forward.

The Browns took quarterbacks in the first round with the No.22 overall pick in both 2012 (Brandon Weeden) and 2014 (Johnny Manziel). Weeden left Cleveland after two seasons and is now a backup with the Houston Texans, while Manziel is out of the league after making eight career starts.