Most are wondering if the Cleveland Browns will actually consider taking a quarterback with the No. 4 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. It's not that taking a quarterback in the top five is anything other than the norm for teams without a long-time solution at the position (unlikely if picking in the top five), it's just that, by the time the Browns come up to pick, two quarterbacks will have already been selected in Andrew Luck of Stanford to the Indianapolis Colts and Robert Griffin III of Baylor to the Washington Redskins.
In other words, the Browns would then be picking the consensus third-best quarterback in the draft, whom many believe is Ryan Tannehill out of Texas A&M. They're kind of all over the place with their mocks though, with some suggesting they'll take Alabama running back Trent Richardson, and others insisting that Justin Blackmon out of Oklahoma State is the pick.
Well, there's some interesting choices in the latest mock draft from Wes Bunting of the National Football Post. His mock draft includes two of the options above. First, a look at the No. 4 pick:
4. Cleveland Browns: Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill - I would not be shocked if the Browns bite the bullet and overpay on a QB like Tannehill at four.
So there's the quarterback - whether you believe they're overpaying for him or not. The Browns do have another first-round pick though, way back at No. 22. But instead of that, Bunting has the Browns trading back up into the top ten to make a trade with the Miami Dolphins:
8. -TRADE- Cleveland Browns via Miami Dolphins: Alabama RB Trent Richardson - The Browns move back into the top-ten from pick 22 in order to secure their workhorse back. Richardson could fall outside the top-five picks, but he isn't going to last much longer than that.
That's an interesting scenario, to say the least. Cleveland is lacking in offensive weapons at all of the skill positions, with few inspiring players at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Colt McCoy is the guy going forward, but that's just because there's nobody else right now, while the Kansas City Chiefs signed Peyton Hillis. At the receiver position, there's not much, which is why Blackmon has been a popular pick. But in this scenario, the Browns gear up for a strong offense by getting signal caller and running back down.
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