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Mitchell Trubisky
For months now, the one sure thing in the upcoming NFL Draft was believed to be that the Cleveland Browns would select Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett with the top pick. Now NFL insider Adam Schefter is saying that is not as certain as most had thought it to be.According to Schefter, the Browns have not decided between Garrett and North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, adding that some in the organization prefer Garrett and others want to draft the quarterback.
This report was immediately met with skepticism as many felt it was a typical ploy some teams use leading up to the draft to try and stir the market for a potential trade. The feeling is that if the Browns would like to trade out of the top spot, teams that had been targeting Trubisky may now be eager to give up a bounty for the No. 1 pick.
However, during an appearance ESPN's "Mike & Mike," Schefter was adamant about what his sources are saying and that there are reasons to believe the Browns are seriously considering Trubisky with the top pick.
"I'm just telling you what other people have told me," Schefter said. "The Browns are considering Mitchell Trubisky at [No.] 1 along with Myles Garrett."
One problem the Browns have is that they also have the 12th pick in the first round and may have been hoping to get Trubisky in that spot. A month ago, that certainly seemed possible, but not anymore.
"If they wait on the quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky will not make it back to them at 12," Schefter said. "That's not going to happen because there are too many teams, starting with four of the first six teams in the draft that have quarterback questions, that have a need at the position and an interest in a quarterback."
Schefter also notes that the Browns passed on Carson Wentz in the 2016 NFL Draft and chose instead to trade their pick. The implication is that the Browns may be gun-shy about the possibility of passing on another potential franchise quarterback.
Complicating matters is Garrett, whom NFL teams may not be as sold on as many draft evaluators previously believed.
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Myles Garrett
From Schefter:
"[An NFL executive for a team with a pick in the top ten] said to me out of nowhere, 'Don't be surprised if Myles Garrett doesn't go No. 1.' And I said, 'Woah, woah, woah, what do you mean?' And he said, 'You guys aren't talking about it right now, but there are holes in his game.' And when you speak to some people, I think they have some questions about how he is going to react when it is third-and-two, and minus-14 [degrees] in Cleveland, and they are on the goal line, and the defense have been on the field for a long drive."
That last line is eyebrow-raising. It is unclear if they are questioning Garrett's abilities against the run - ESPN draft expert Todd McShay said 'I wouldn't say he excels against the run' - or if they are questioning whether he is just a workout freak who may not necessarily love football enough to excel in sub-par conditions when he would be needed most.
Either way, it seems like NFL talent evaluators have some concerns with Garrett, and if he is not considered a sure thing, it might make more sense to take the gamble on the more important position, quarterback.