CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey is not someone to sit across the poker table from, not especially when it comes to his plans for the 2018 NFL Draft.
In his pre-draft press conference at team headquarters Thursday, Dorsey was asked multiple times about his plans for the Nos. 1 and 4 overall picks, and he was less than forthcoming, instead choosing to talk about being confident in the Browns’ process leading up to the league’s annual selection meeting.
“I’m a guy of processes, I’m a guy of structure, and I’m a guy of systems,” Dorsey said. “I’m a creature of habit. I’ve done it for 20-something years, but where we are in the process, the draft is seven days away, y’all, but I’m very confident with where we are in the process moving forward.
“I’m going to meet with the offensive staff today, and then, tomorrow, we’re meeting with the defensive staff to get their viewpoints on that in combination with the scouting staff. There’s still a couple days left to get this thing where it needs to be.”
The Browns secured the No. 1 overall pick with a loss to rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, a native of Mentor, Ohio, and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Christmas Eve 2017, and one week later, with the Houston Texans’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, obtained a second top-five selection.
The Texans’ pick was acquired in a draft-day trade that Houston spent on quarterback Deshaun Watson last April.
“The process is to get a consensus within the organization,” Dorsey said.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to try to make the best decision for this organization that we can.”
According to Dorsey, the process started in early February when scouts reported to Berea for 17 days of meetings with the organization, and continued right before The Scouting Combine, when coaches got a list of players to evaluate and begin ranking.
After The Combine, the Browns began analyzing data and crunching numbers before reconvening with scouts and reevaluating the plans. Following in-person workouts and individual Pro Days, the organization came together once more to build a consensus.
“That’s why you have to have discussion. That’s why you have to listen. That’s why you have to encourage guys to speak up so everybody’s viewpoints are taken into effect,” Dorsey said.
“At the end of the day, we want good football players here. We’re going to get good football players here. We’re going to get good football players here. We just so happen to be at the top of the draft, but I’m very confident with where we are in this process.”
