Cleveland Browns bowl watch: Clemson QB Deshaun Watson
The Cleveland Browns will look to continue their rebuilding efforts during the 2017 NFL Draft. Could Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson be on the team’s radar?
There is only one week remaining in the 2016 NFL regular season and the Cleveland Browns still do not know their final draft position.
This much we do know: the Browns are guaranteed to pick no worse than No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft and they hold a second first-round pick courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Where those picks fall will not be determined until after the final week of the season. If the Browns lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers, or win and then hope the San Francisco 49ers upset the Seattle Seahawks, then the Browns will lead off the draft with the first overall selection.
More from Dawg Pound Daily
As for the second pick in the first round, the Browns would currently pick at No. 10. But to hold onto that spot they need the Eagles to lose their final game to the Dallas Cowboys, who have already clinched home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs.
Since draft talk is always welcome in Cleveland, and bowl season is in full swing, this is a great time to get one last look at some draft prospects at positions of need for the Browns in game action.
The situation at the quarterback position has never been worse than it currently is for the Browns. Veteran Josh McCown is on the verge — or should be on the verge — of retirement, rookie Cody Kessler proved he has a solid career ahead of him as a backup quarterback, and it is abundantly clear to everyone that Robert Griffin III is no longer a viable NFL quarterback.
There will be plenty of debate — both internally and externally — between now and draft weekend about how the Browns should go about fixing the quarterback situation once and for all.
That answer may lie in the arm of Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson has done just about everything you can ask for out of a quarterback the past two seasons, throwing for more than 8,000 yards and 72 touchdown passes (while adding another 18 touchdowns on the ground) in leading the Tigers to a 26-2 record.
Not only was he one of the most-accurate deep passers in college football this season, but he also got better when facing pressure, according to Pro Football Focus:
Watson struggled handling pressure in 2015, but he has improved significantly in 2016. He has shown impressive growth and poise in 2016 when pressured, something that was a concern for him entering the season. His numbers improved across the board, with his sack rate dropping by 2 percent and his adjusted completion rate improving by 14 percent.
And after leading Clemson into the college playoff in consecutive seasons, Watson has a winning mentality lacking in Browns quarterbacks since the days of Bernie Kosar.
“He has a confidence in his ability, a confidence in his performance, but it goes back to the way he prepares. He prepares like a pro,” Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said this week. “He prepares like a coach. Every time he walks through the building, he’s got the playbook in his hands. He takes meticulous notes and he rewrites his notes.
“Once they get to know Deshaun, they’re going to see he’s going to be a great face of your franchise. He’s going to win on the field, he’s going to make people around him better. He’s the ultimate competitor and he has the it factor to be able to lead your team to championships.”
About the only thing the Watson does not have in his favor is that he did not grow up in Northeast Ohio – which apparently is now a criteria for selecting a quarterback according to some. But he does like wearing the color orange, so maybe that balances things out.
But judging from what he has accomplished as the starting quarterback at Clemson, it is going to be very difficult for the Browns to pass Watson up when draft night rolls around.
Clemson will be in action tonight at 7 when they take on Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.