The Cleveland Browns have two first-round picks tonight, their own (No. 4 overall) and the Falcons’ (No. 22). But by the end of the night they may end up drafting three players.
That’s a scenario envisioned by Jason La Canfora of NFL Network, who thinks that the Browns would like to draft Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden but view No. 22 as a little bit too high to take him. So the plan for the Browns could be to bolster other positions at No. 4 and No. 22 and then trying to trade back up into the end of the first-round to draft Weeden before the night ends.
The Browns’ second-round pick is No. 37 overall, and Cleveland would be ecstatic if Weeden lasted that long. But if they decide they don’t want to chance that, trading the 37th pick and another pick to move somewhere in the 25-32 range could be the move for the Browns to make. The Patriots, who have the 31st pick in the first round, might be open to moving back six spots and getting an extra pick for their trouble.
Cleveland has a major need for offensive playmakers tonight. It’s possible that with the right moves, they could end up with a trio like Alabama running back Trent Richardson at 4, Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill at 22 and Weeden with a trade near the end of the first round. That would radically transform the future of the Browns’ offense.