The 2017 NFL Draft was loaded with superstars ranging in all positions. This draft class included offensive superstars such as Christian Mcafferey, George Kittle, and Chris Godwin; but, also includes defensive pro-bowlers in Jamal Adams, Myles Garrett, and Tre’Davious White.

This re-draft will include all draft day trades. Plus, not all selections were based on skill: it depends on replicability at the position. For example, if this re-draft was purely based on skill, then close to half of the top ten picks would have been a runningback.

Now that the perameters have been set, let us re-draft:

1: Cleveland Browns: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech

After being benched behind Alex Smith in his rookie season, Patrick Mahomes has played two star seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs. In this timespan, Mahomes has won the NFL’s MVP award, and most recently a Super Bowl victory, to name a few of Mahomes’ many achievements. The Chiefs made what will eventually be considered as the best move in their franchise’s history by trading to the 10th pick for Mahomes, nabbing the best player in the NFL. However, in this re-draft, the Browns decide to pick Mahomes instead of star defensive end Myles Garrett.

2: Chicago Bears: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M

While Garrett’s season was cut short due to his incident involving Mason Rudolph in a regular season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, let that not undercut Garrett’s talent. Garrett was more than well-deserving of the first-overall pick, but having the generational talent in Mahomes forces Garrett to move down a spot. The only reason I do not have Deshaun Watson landing here is because I think the Bears stick with Mike Glennon after signing him to a ridiculously large deal that offseason.

3: San Fransisco 49ers: George Kittle, TE, Iowa

While we all like to think of the Niners defense as formidable, it was not thanks to the likes of Soloman Thomas. But, that does not mean the Niners did this draft wrong, as they selected George Kittle in the fifth round. In this redraft, the Niners decide to select Kittle with their first round pick, and wait until the later rounds before even considering Thomas. Kittle has been an unstoppable force ever since being drafted into the league. At this point in time, the Niners have many holes, including quarterback, but they wait to get a quarterback until trading for Jimmy Garropolo. Kittle provides their team a dynamic blocker as well as a receiving threat that will scare defenses for weeks to come.

4: Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Mccaffrey, HB, Stanford

The Jaguars initially selected Leanard Fournette at this spot. While I think this was a great fit, I believe that the Jaguars could have gone with a better running back. With uncertainty with Blake Bortles at quarterback, Mccaffrey will be playing in a nearly identical situation to the one he is currently in with the Panthers. Overall, CMC is a much better fit with this squad then Fournette is.

5: Tennessee Titans: T.J. Watt, EDGE, Wisconsin

Watt has improved in every season he has played, and has become a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the Steelers. The Titans went with Corey Davis with this pick, which proved to be bust-worthy, especially now that they have a run-dominated offense with Derrick Henry. The Titans in this redraft go with defense, deciding between Jamal Adams and Watt. They eventually go with Watt, showing that they are confident in their safety group that is lead by Kevin Byard.

6: New York Jets: Jamal Adams, S, LSU

It is not often that in a redraft, a team goes with the same guy they went with in the actual draft. Even though there is uncertainty in his future with the Jets this offseason, the smart move is to keep their pick with Adams going at 6.

7: Los Angeles Chargers: Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State

While this may seem as a surprise to many, I think that the Chargers picking Godwin would be perfect. They initially went with Mike Williams, who they had hoped would provide Philip Rivers with a solid WR2 option. This would have spread the field more, allowing their star WR Keenan Allen and TE Hunter Henry to have more open space, creating more big plays. Williams has been a good pick, posting solid numbers when healthy. But, in comparison to Godwin’s breakout season, Williams stands no match. Chargers stick with a wideout here.

8: Carolina Panthers: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

Ever since the departure of Josh Norman and the rest of the core 15-1 Panther squad, the defense has been lacking in overall talent in exception to newly retired LB Luke Kuechly. This class features many great cornerbacks, including Tre’Davious White, and Marshon Lattimore. But, I am going with Humphrey. Since 2017, Humphrey has been hawking every pass thrown to him down, breaking up 47 passes, ranking fourth since he was drafted into the league.

9: Cincinnati Bengals: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU

Like I mentioned in the previous selection, this class is loaded with studs at cornerback. The Bengals in the actual draft went with John Ross, going for a speedy wideout to be opposite to AJ Green. Ross has been plagued with injuries, making him not worthy of this selection. The Bengals secondary has been abysmal at best, so they take Pro-Bowl cornerback White at this pick. However, this Bengals team is still far from where they have to be, and even with the selection of White, I would still see the Bengals winding up with the first pick in tomorrow’s draft.

10: Kansas City Chiefs: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

Those that are reading this, I know you are confused. The Chiefs trading to this pick for the fundamental purpose of drafting Patrick Mahomes. That is true. But, they still believe that they have their guy in Watson. While Watson might not be at the same level as Mahomes, Watson would play perfect to this speedy team. Andy Reid would style a playbook that would revolve lots of play-action, screens to both running backs and wide receivers, and QB runs, similar to the current Chiefs playbook. In my mind, this would be a no-brainer trade the Chiefs make to pick Watson.

2018

Baker Mayfield: Too Early to Tell

Baker Mayfield came in year one after Tyrod Taylor’s injury and impressed. He set the rookie touchdown pass record, without even starting every game. He had big expectations coming into year 2, but was disappointing. Let’s just say he threw a few interceptions. By “a few” I mean 21. After such a great rookie season, Baker left fans wondering what happened. He didn’t connect well with Odell Beckham Jr. Odell was supposed to be his #1 target this year, but it ended up being Jarvis Landry, causing Beckham to have an underwhelming season as well. For year 3, the Browns will figure out if Baker is their future QB, and hopefully, he is.

Denzel Ward: Hit

When John Dorsey selected Denzel Ward with the 4th overall pick, many, including me, were surprised. But, as usual, Dorsey made the right decision. While Ward has been struggling with concussions and other injuries, when he’s been on the field he’s made a big difference. Over 2 seasons he’s had 5 interceptions, one of them being a pick-6. He’s has 97 tackles on top of that. Not to mention he’s a Pro Bowler. And when you watch him closely, you’ll notice how good his coverage really is. Overall, Denzel Ward turned out to be something special.

2017

Myles Garrett: Hit

Now, of course, there’s the whole Myles Garrett vs. Mason Rudolph controversy. But don’t pay attention to that. That was a one-time thing. Let’s focus on his skill. Myles Garrett was selected with the first overall pick in the draft. Injuries kept him from playing at full level in his rookie year, but he still managed to post solid numbers. Now, after his third season, he has a total of 30.5 sacks. Coming into year 3, Myles was viewed as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and was easily going to be a Pro Bowler before the fight happened. He was a Pro Bowler in 2018 however. In year 4, he’s looking for a revenge season. Look for Myles to play big in the 2020-2021 season.

Jabrill Peppers: Miss

You might be thinking, Why would Peppers be a miss? He was in the Odell trade and therefore got us a star player. Well, for Peppers, we’re only going to count his career as a Cleveland Brown. He certainly wasn’t bad, just not first round pick worthy. He had 2 interceptions here, and 76 tackles. And he was also a solid returner on special teams. But his numbers were pretty much average. But, there were other safeties taken later that turned out to be great. Budda Baker (2nd round), John Johnson (3rd round), Eddie Jackson (4th round), and a few others. So looking back at it, maybe Jabrill Peppers wasn’t the best choice.

David Njoku: Hit

In his 3 years so far as a Cleveland Brown, David Njoku hasn’t dissapointed. He has 9 touchdowns total. And he would for sure have more if injuries didn’t keep him sidelined for most of last season. He quickly emerged as one of Baker Mayfield’s favorite targets last year, getting 4 touchdowns and 639 yards. His future with the Browns may be uncertain, but so far, David Njoku has proved he was worth spending a first rounder on.

2016

Corey Coleman: Miss

Corey Coleman. Why. Just why. This draft class was filled with solid WRs – Sterling Shepard, Tyler Boyd, Will Fuller. But two names stand out most, and those names are Tyreek Hill and Michael Thomas. Corey Coleman was the first WR drafted in 2016. Coming from Baylor, Cleveland had high hopes for him after using their only first rounder on him. He did have 5 touchdowns while in Cleveland, but stats don’t tell the whole story. He had many drops, one even causing the Browns to lose the game. Coleman just didn’t end up how Cleveland hoped.

2015

Danny Shelton: Miss

Shelton is another player who wasn’t necessarily bad for the Browns, he just wasn’t first round quality. He did win a ring with New England though. He only had 1 sack with the Browns. Now I know that sounds awful, but he had 128 tackles. Which isn’t so bad for a huge nose tackle. Shelton is a player who did his best once he left the Browns, which seems to happen alot.

Cameron Erving: Miss

Yikes. Another player who performed well for a team that’s not named the Cleveland Browns. Cameron Erving is currently a quality starter for the Chiefs, and he has a ring to prove it. Erving was bad when he was on the Browns. So bad, I kept on waiting for the moment he’d be gone. And now that he’s on the Chiefs, he’s finally doing good. What luck for Cleveland.

2014

Justin Gilbert: Miss

Possibly the worst first round pick by the Browns in their history. With 1 interception, 39 tackles, and a whole lot of sideline time, Justin Gilbert never even got close to living up to his expectations. He had a short stint with the Steelers, where he did nothing as well. A huge fail, and a huge wasted pick. To make it worse, Odell was taken 4 picks later. Tragic.

Johnny Manziel: Miss

Do I really need to explain this one? I don’t think so, but I will anyways. Manziel was supposed to be the future of the Browns. Or at least a decent starting QB. But as you all know, that never happened. Manziel was caught doing many bad acts off the field, and he was not much better on the field. Maybe he’ll join the XFL for one day, but for now, he’ll be remembered as a huge bust.

#Browns

Myles Garrett being reinstated is a big relief for the Browns. Before the 2019 season, many were projecting him to have a big year, possibly even winning Defensive Player of the Year. But with his season cut short, we’ll never know what he would go on to do that season. Now, Garrett is coming back mentally prepared. He knows what he did is wrong, and he’s ready to prove to everyone that he’s got plenty of talent.

In the 2020 season, look for Myles Garrett to have a big impact for the Browns. Him, Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi, and Olivier Vernon (if kept) will look to have the monstrous season that they were supposed to have in 2019. But, I think its safe to say, Cleveland fans can sleep a little easier knowing that Myles Garrett will be returning to the field very soon.

#Browns

Let’s look at his background. Delpit is from Houston, Texas. He stands at 6’3″ and weighs 203 lbs. Delpit played high school football at IMG Academy (Florida). He won the National Championship with LSU, has been on the All-SEC First Team twice, and has won the Jim Thorpe award. Last season at LSU, he picked off 2 passes and made 65 solo tackles.

Now, lets get to if he’d fit in with the Cleveland Browns. To add on to my opinions, I decided to ask a few Instagram pages that cover the Browns. When I asked @brownsculture about Grant Delpit, he told me, “He is a great ball hawk and possesses fantastic zone coverage. Solid man coverage DB but he lacks the ability of a run stopping strong safety. His blitz ability is fantastic off the edge. Grant is a guy you can use in plenty of different places, SS, FS, NCB, SCB.” As heard from @brownsculture, Delpit is a very versatile player, who has many strengths, but could still improve on a few things.

I asked @dawgpounder216 how he felt about Grant Delpit, and the response I got was, “Good height and size, strong hands and has good field vision, great cover skills and a real thumper at safety. I just hope he’s there at 10.” Seems like @dawgpounder216 is big on Delpit as well, pointing out all of his talents and even expressing how it would be great if Delpit would make it to pick number 10.

We’ve heard tons of good about Grant Delpit so far, but @_brownsdynasty isn’t too sold on him. When asked, he said, “I personally don’t think we should draft him. Our safeties played pretty solid all year and obviously our biggest need is o-line. He is a great player don’t get me wrong, but I just don’t think he’s worth a first round pick for the Browns.” So here, @_brownsdynasty admits that Delpit is a talented football player, but says that the Browns should focus on their offensive line needs before going after a safety. Which is another possible route that Cleveland could take on draft night.

The last person I asked was an LSU news instagram page. I asked @lsu.territory for some strengths and weaknesses, and his response was, “His strengths are definitely his agility and really just his quickness all over the field, but unfortunately he he does get hurt pretty easily. Other than that, he is an all around great player.” Here we get a different weakness – injuries. If you watched or payed attention to the Browns last season, you probably noticed that one of the biggest problems were all of the injuries. Whether it was Olivier Vernon struggling to stay on the field, Odell Beckham Jr playing with a hernia, or the offensive line getting banged up, someone was missing. So that could be another risk.

Finally, I want to give my own opinion on Grant Delpit. Personally, I think the good outweighs the bad, and taking him with the 10th pick will be a great decision. His versatility brings something that the Browns didn’t have enough of last season. He can be moved around to see what is the best fit. Also, he’s aggressive. He’ll always be out there trying to make the big hit. Hopefully, it won’t cause injury. But personally, I think Grant Delpit should be the next Cleveland 1st round pick.

#Browns

After the firing of Freddie Kitchens, the Browns Head Coach began with Josh McDaniels, Kevin Stefanski, Eric Bienemy, Brian Daboll, Mike McCarthy, Greg Roman, Robert Saleh, and Jim Schwartz. Slowly, it seemed that the race was narrowing down, until last week when it was believed that the race was between Saleh, Stefanski, McDaniels, and Daboll.

During the Divisional Round Playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers, it was reported that the Browns wouldn’t make a decision until Sunday. This left fans and reporters wondering if they were analyzing the performances in this game by the Minnesota offense (Stefanski) and San Francisco defense (Saleh). Then, Sunday morning, Cleveland made it official that Stefanski would be hired as the new head coach.

The Browns are in need of someone who can take all of the personalities of the players and make it work. They are also in need of someone who can get the offense going, which Freddie Kitchens didn’t do very well last season. Cleveland and its fans are hopeful that Stefanski will bring a bright future to the organization. But until next season starts, we’ll have to wait and see.

#Browns

Mike McCarthy

The first candidate to be interviewed by the Browns was Mike McCarthy. Ever since being fired by the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy has been looking for a new team, and Cleveland just might be that new team. McCarthy is known for winning the Super Bowl with the Packers in 2011. He also brings the experience at the Head Coach spot that Browns coaches have lacked in the past. Overall, McCarthy is one of the leaders in the Cleveland Head Coach race.

Greg Roman

Greg Roman is the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. His success so far in the 2019 season is something to take note of, and the Browns are definitely taking note of it. Roman’s career in the NFL started in 1995 with the Carolina Panthers where he hired as a strength and conditioning coach. After that, he moved from Houston, to Baltimore for the first time, then to San Francisco, then Buffalo, and finally the Ravens in 2017. Now after being in Baltimore for 2 years, the Browns are looking to possibly bring him to Cleveland.

Brian Daboll

Brian Daboll is currently the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. He began in 2000 as a defensive coaching assistant for the New England Patriots, before moving up to be the Wide Receivers coach. After leaving New England, he served as the New York Jets quarterbacks coach, until 2009 when he was hired as the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns. After his stint with the Browns, he moved to Miami, then to Kansas City. After all of that, he was once again brought back to the New England Patriots, where he would win a Super Bowl as offensive coordinator. In 2018 he was named offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. Now, the Browns are interviewing him to see if he’s fit to be the Head Coach.

Kevin Stefanski

Kevin Stefanski is the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. His start was in 2005, where he had a minor role with the Philadelphia Eagles. Then, in 2006, he got his start with the Minnesota Vikings, where he would eventually move up, starting with being the assistant to the head coach, then the assistant quarterbacks coach, then the tight ends coach, after that the running backs coach, and then the quarterbacks coach. Then, in 2018, after the Vikings fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, Stefanski became the interim offensive coordinator. After proving himself, he was promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2019 season. He could be a good fit for the Browns, possibly helping Baker Mayfield have a strong 3rd season, if he is hired.

Robert Saleh

Robert Saleh is currently the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. He, like most of the Browns candidates, moved around the league a lot before finding his current position. It started with the Houston Texans in 2005, where he was the defensive intern. Before being a part of the Texans franchise, he had been a defensive assistant for Michigan State, Central Michigan, and Georgia. In 2009, Saleh was moved up to be the assistant linebackers coach. The Seahawks hired him in 2011 to be their defensive quality control coach, which was another minor role. Then, in 2014, he was named the linebackers coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then, in 2017, the 49ers decided to hire him as their defensive coordinator, where he has had much success, leading the Browns to have much interest in him.

Eric Bieniemy

Eric Bieniemy is the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs. He was an NFL running back from 1991 to 1999. His first job in the NFL was with the Minnesota Vikings in 2006, where he was a running backs coach. He stayed there for 4 years. He had previously been a running backs coach for Colorado and UCLA. After he parted ways with Minnesota, he got a job at Colorado as offensive coordinator. Then, in 2013, the Chiefs hired him to be a running backs coach. He would later move up as an offensive coordinator in 2018, staying with the Chiefs and helping out a lot. The Browns are looking for someone who can get the offense going in 2020, and Bieniemy could be the perfect guy.

Josh McDaniels

Josh McDaniels is the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, and many believe he’s most likely to win the Head Coaching job of the Cleveland Browns. He started in the NFL in 2001, as the New England Patriots personnel assistant. The next year, he was promoted to a defensive assistant. In 2004, he moved up even more and became the quarterbacks coach. Then, in 2005, he kept his position as quarterbacks coach, but also took over the spot of offensive coordinator. He stayed at both jobs until 2008. Then, in 2009, he was hired as the Head Coach of the Denver Broncos. He was then fired in 2010 after a bad season and lots of controversial decisions. The Rams hired him as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2011, where he would stay for one year. In 2012, McDaniels got his job back in New England, once again being the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, where he remains today. He has said that he is a fan of Baker Mayfield, and is one of the most likely options for Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Joe Schobert was named as an alternate along with Odell Beckham Jr, Joel Bitonio, and Denzel Ward. But in my opinion, being an alternate wasn’t enough for him. Veteran linebacker Dont’a Hightower got the starting job instead. When you compare the stats, it’s clear that Joe Schobert has been superior this season. He has a combined 116 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 9 passes defended (as of 12/19/19). As for Hightower, he didn’t get any interceptions, had only 3 passes defended, and 60 combined tackles. (according to pro-football-reference.com) Looking at those stats next to each other, Joe Schobert had a better year and it’s not even close. But, many have said that the Pro Bowl is just a popularity contest, and I think this proves it.

Not only was J.C. Tretter not named as a pro bowler, he wasn’t named as an alternate either. This is totally disrespectful and unfair. Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey recieved the job over Tretter. Don’t forget that Pouncey was suspended for a few games. Also, he is currently ranked 36th center. There’s 32 teams. Not to mention that JC Tretter only has been accountable for 1 penalty. He’s been a team leader and offensive lineman that the Browns have needed.

In the future, the NFL needs to take fan voting into thought, but they shouldn’t use it as the final decision on who makes it and who doesn’t. The NFL needs to use stats and compare every player, therefore making the Pro Bowl more exciting to watch.

#Browns @Brownsclutch on Instagram

There are a few things that the Browns need to take away from this game and improve on. The biggest is the secondary. There were multiple plays where there were no defensive backs in the area, resulting in a big gain. Cleveland needs to watch the film and realize that they need to make improvements next year, whether it’s signing/trading for new defensive backs, or trying to train their young players (Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Sheldrick Redwine, etc…). 

There is a big chance that FS Damarious Randall won’t resign, so John Dorsey will have to decide if he wants safety Sheldrick Redwine to start next year, or if he wants a new safety to take Randall’s place. 

Another big mistake that can be taken away from this game is the playcalling. Freddie Kitchens is a rookie head coach, so he still has a lot of learning to do. He must adjust his play-calling and improve his decision-making. The Browns management has already told the media that they want Kitchens to stay another year to see if it works out, so with the fans ready to throw Kitchens out, he is going to need to step it up and try something different. 

Overall, the Browns will need tons of minor tweaks and adjustments to come back and win big next season, with a few large changes as well.

#Browns @Brownsclutch on Instagram.