Joe Thomas doesn’t want the Cleveland Browns to draft Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Mitch Trubisky, or another quarterback with the first overall pick. Instead, he wants the franchise to draft a pass rusher.
The Browns tackle was a guest on the Dan Patrick Show, where he revealed he hopes the Browns draft a pass rusher with the top pick in the NFL Draft opposed to a potential much-needed franchise QB.
“I would say you want to go defense,” Thomas, a 10-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle, said Thursday on the Dan Patrick Show. “I think you need to get a pass-rusher.”
Thomas said his belief was rooted behind getting the Browns immediate help, admitting drafting a QB first overall often doesn’t immediately help a franchise.
“I think you got to be careful reaching for a quarterback at No. 1 because if they fail they don’t help your team at all,” Thomas said. “Whereas if you pick a defensive lineman and maybe they don’t live up to the hype you can still find a place to get him on the field and to have an impact.”
The Browns could certainly use a pass rusher, but that sentiment can be applied to nearly every position for the Browns. Drafting Deshaun Watson or another quarterback at number one would give fans some hope, while selecting anything but a QB will likely draw criticism – even if it’s the smarter move.
The Browns can land a quarterback with their second first-round pick or their second round pick, but they wouldn’t be able to select a high impact talent like Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett if they took a quarterback first overall. The Browns really can’t go wrong with the pick, but drafting to instill hope in a fanbase instead of picking the best available player might not be the best move – even if Browns fans haven’t had much to cheer about in the past decade plus. Thomas might be right.
[ESPN.com]
