CLEVELAND -- The annual NFL Scouting Combine is nearing its end, but the event's breakout star has already emerged. To the surprise of nearly no one who's followed college football for the past three seasons, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley solidified his status as one the -- if not the -- top players in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Between his 4.4 40-yard dash and 29 reps on the bench press, Barkley wowed as one of the combine's top performers at any position. As expected, hyperbolic praise followed, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Barkley is now "firmly in the mix" to be selected by the Cleveland Browns with the first overall pick.
"He’s the best running back prospect I’ve seen in 25 years," New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton told MMQB.com's Peter King.
That may be the case. But he's still a running back, nonetheless.
To think that the Browns, who enter the upcoming draft with a top-2 pick for a third straight year, would once again pass on their first choice of quarterbacks seems almost unfathomable -- even by Browns standards. In the last two years alone, Cleveland has seen Carson Wentz emerge as an MVP candidate and Deshaun Watson become one of football's most exciting young players. And now the Browns are going to risk another franchise signal-caller evading their grasp?
“The Cleveland Browns are not going to be successful until we get a quarterback,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said in December at a press conference introducing new general manager John Dorsey. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to find a quarterback we need to be successful. That will be John’s No. 1 priority.”
Yes, Cleveland also lays claim to the No. 4 overall pick, guaranteeing that at least one of Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen will also be available should they take Barkley at No. 1. And unless the Indianapolis Colts trade out of the No. 3 pick, there's a decent chance that at least three of the top quarterback prospects will be available at 4.
So it's reasonable to believe the Browns could take Barkley at 1 and still have their pick of the three remaining quarterbacks -- say, Darnold, Mayfield and Allen -- at 4. And while fine in theory, that logic also hinges on the assumption that all of the quarterback prospects in this class have been created equally.
After enduring a 1-31 record over the course of the last two seasons, including an 0-16 campaign in 2017, there is nothing more important for Cleveland in this draft than correcting its quarterback conundrum. It's been nearly 30 years since the Browns could last lay claim to a franchise signal-caller, and now, in one of the strongest QB classes in recent memory, they have the very first pick.
No other position is worth sacrificing that for, let alone running back, which has been devalued in the pass-happy NFL. In a best-case scenario, Barkley would have the impact of an Adrian Peterson or LaDainian Tomlinson -- two Hall of Famer-caliber running backs who never won a Super Bowl, or even played in one.
Taking a running back -- no matter how talented -- first overall simply isn't worth the risk of missing out on the top quarterback in draft. With the No. 2 pick, the New York Giants will likely select the player they view as the successor to Eli Manning. And should they keep the No. 3 pick, it's conceivable the Colts would select North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb, or another top defensive player.
If that's the case, then the Browns could have the chance to both have their cake and eat it too. With the No. 4 pick, Cleveland should jump at the opportunity to take an offensive weapon as dynamic as Barkley.
Just don't do it at the expense of giving yourself the best chance of landing a franchise quarterback.
