Barring the Titans unloading the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft via trade, the Browns should have their pick of quarterbacks with the No. 2 pick.
When new Browns associate head coach-offense Pep Hamilton met with reporters Thursday, he said the Browns have been working on evaluation of the players already on the roster and installation and are “slowly starting to transition” to the draft and studying draft prospects.
Though he didn’t want to say much in the way of specifics, he said he recruited Cal quarterback Jared Goff when he coached at Stanford.
“I’m not surprised he [became] one of the best quarterbacks in college football,” Hamilton said, per the Browns’ official transcript.
Hamilton was the offensive coordinator at Stanford from 2010-12 before landing in Indianapolis with the Colts, where he was the offensive coordinator for former Stanford quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck. The Colts fired Hamilton amid a disappointing start to last season.
Hamilton will coach the quarterbacks with the Browns but head coach Hue Jackson will call the plays.
Jackson has said the Browns need a quarterback while making the media rounds over the last several weeks. Hamilton said he and Jackson value accuracy and leadership qualities in their evaluations of college quarterbacks and that Hamilton will be involved in the pre-draft process.
“You have an opportunity to evaluate guys and then share your opinion, but ultimately, it’s not my decision to make,” Hamilton said. “It’s my job to help whoever we decide to make our quarterback transition into a winning quarterback.”