It is admittedly early, but we're still not too far removed from the 2011 NFL Draft to start thinking about how the Cleveland Browns could follow things up in next year's draft. Todd McShay over at ESPN was given the "tough" assignment of doing a 2012 mock draft, and guess who he has quarterback Andrew Luck going to at No. 1 overall? Cleveland.
Before you overreact and chastise McShay for projecting us to have the league's worst record, that is not the case. He created his rankings by reversing the order of ESPN's latest power rankings, and he states that Luck is too big of a prospect for pretty much any team to pass up on:
No. 1 Overall: Andrew Luck*, QB, Stanford -- Luck is a once-in-a-decade kind of talent with all the tools to be an elite NFL quarterback. He returned to Stanford for the 2011 season even though coach Jim Harbaugh moved to the NFL, and the team with the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 should trade its existing quarterback to draft Luck. He's that good. If not, the pick will be up for public auction.
The Browns would also have the No. 26 overall pick. For that spot, McShay has the Browns addressing the offensive tackle position:
No. 26 Overall: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State -- Adams is 6-7 with a lean frame and needs to add bulk. Although he's not as athletic as 2010 first-rounder Nate Solder, he has similar potential to make a big move as a senior.
As much as we want Colt McCoy to succeed, would this be a dream come true for 2012 in terms of who we get (do not think about the fact that the Browns would have to play terrible next season)?