On Tuesday, Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson all but confirmed his team will select a quarterback with the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
“I think the guy’s in there. I really do,” Jackson told reporters at the NFL's annual meetings in Orlando. “I think we’re very close. Yeah, I think we’re close.”
Just how close are the Browns when it comes to deciding on who to select as their signal-caller of the future? According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Cleveland is now deciding between one of two quarterbacks -- USC's Sam Darnold and Wyoming's Josh Allen -- to take with the No. 1 overall pick next month.
That the Browns are deciding between Darnold and Allen doesn't necessarily come as much of a surprise. Last week, Cleveland sent large contingents -- including Jackson, offensive coordinator Todd Haley, general manager John Dorsey and team owner Jimmy Haslam -- to both players' respective Pro Days.
Factor in that the Browns have signed two veteran quarterbacks in Tyrod Taylor and Drew Stanton this offseason, and a player with the inexperience of Darnold or raw skills of Allen might make sense. Jackson even confirmed on Tuesday that it's his preference for whichever quarterback Cleveland selects next month to sit for at least a season.
"We have a plan and we're going to stick to it," Jackson, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "We tried this the other way with two young guys and it's unfortunate that it didn't happen the way we wanted it to. To do this right and to get to where we're trying to get to, we need to have that veteran quarterback go out there, play and lead this football team to be the best it can be. I think this is the guy for us."
And it now appears the Browns are narrowing in on who the next guy as well.
