Rumors of Browns Taking QB Carson Wentz at No. 2 Are Heating Up

Near the end of the regular season, the feeling being conveyed by draft experts was that there wasn't a quarterback worth taking at the top of the draft this year. Leading up to the hiring of Hue Jackson, the talks of quarterback Jared Goff being the Browns' target at No. 2 started picking up. With the Senior Bowl practices taking place this week, though, everyone has fallen in love with quarterback Carson Wentz from the small school of North Dakota State. Not only that, but several rumors hint that Wentz might just be the Browns' guy at No. 2 overall.

Here is what Walter Football said on Monday:

One area scout of a team picking in the top 10 that doesn't need a quarterback was gushing over North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. The team has given him a first-round grade and thinks that Wentz is the real deal. They say that Wentz has a good arm, size and athleticism, and they love him off the field. They like his pocket presence, field vision, experience under center, making play calls in the huddle, and potential to grow in the NFL. The scout said that he will fill out his frame in a NFL strength and conditioning program. That area scout said the big challenge for Wentz will be the drastic change in the speed of the game coming from North Dakota State's opponents compared to the NFL. This week at the Senior Bowl could vault Wentz high in the first round.

How high? Extremely high. In speaking with sources at the Browns, Wentz is definitely in play with Cleveland. He's viewed as a first-rounder despite a small sample size of starts in college. Sources say the Browns really like Wentz. There are some who believe that Wentz is the best quarterback prospect and they say the only reason why Wentz isn't the consensus No. 1 quarterback is the helmet he wears (i.e. coming from a small school). Assuming the Browns move on from Johnny Manziel and draft a quarterback, it sounds like they are focused on Wentz or Cal quarterback Jared Goff. Both are rated ahead of Memphis' Paxton Lynch, and Wentz could be the early lean.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report also reported on the Browns' interest, and talked about it on 92.3 the Fan Thursday afternoon:

The buzz around the Browns and Carson Wentz at #2 is real.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 28, 2016

Sources also tell Neal Coolong of the USA Today (and formerly of Behind the Steel Curtain) that "the Browns have taken an interest in Wentz, and it’s enough to suggest he’s the front-runner for the second overall pick." Jackson met with Wentz at the Senior Bowl this week and had praise for him, as did other members of the Browns organization. He was also interviewed by Browns.com here.

What do you say, Browns fans? Have you ever watched him quarterback a game, or can you go off of everyone's praise for him?