Browns ‘strongly considering’ drafting UNC QB Mitch Trubisky with the No. 1 pick

Will Mitch Trubisky be the latest young passer to brave the hall of tarnished quarterbacks known as the Cleveland Browns locker room? Though the 2017 NFL Draft may be eight weeks away, early signs point to yes.

Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports the team is “strongly considering” taking the North Carolina passer with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. If selected, Trubisky would be the fifth quarterback the franchise has taken in the first round since being revived back in 1999. The list of players who precede him is a lesson in forlorn hope:

1999: Tim Couch, first overall, 22-37 as a starter.
2007: Brady Quinn, 22nd overall, 3-9.
2012: Brandon Weeden, 22nd overall, 5-15.
2014: Johnny Manziel, 22nd overall, 2-6.

Cabot’s report jives with what head coach Hue Jackson told reporters at the NFL Combine Thursday.

Adding Trubisky would mark a homecoming for the young passer, who played his high school football in nearby Mentor, Ohio. He redshirted his first year with the Tar Heels and played sparingly in 2014 and 2015 before enjoying a breakout season last fall. He threw for 3,748 yards in 13 games and posted a 30-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio to rocket up draft boards. He’s most often lumped in with Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer as the top tier of 2017’s eligible quarterbacks. He boosted his stock before even hitting the field Thursday after measuring in at over 6’2 in Indianapolis.

However, few mock drafts have predicted a passer going No. 1 overall. A quick search of the most reliable mocks across the internet shows the vast majority expect Cleveland to make Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett the top pick. Only one mock has the Browns selecting Trubisky, who still has plenty of question marks after only one season as an NCAA starter under his belt.

Expect those mock drafts to change after Cabot’s report. Cleveland hasn’t drafted a Pro Bowl quarterback since Brian Sipe back in 1972, but a hometown hero could be just the man to break that ignominious streak. Trubisky doesn’t have the credentials of Watson or Kizer, but a big week at the NFL Combine could strengthen his case as a potential No. 1 overall pick.