The greatest scam in pro sports is the NFL Draft. Why you ask? Because it generates its own cottage industry without actually playing any games. Most sports have to rely on actual content to generate money. Not the NFL. I was watching a scroll on ESPN of mock drafts over Easter weekend. Not games scores, but predictions of draft pick positions.
So since I live in Cleveland, the Draft seems to be our Super Bowl. The NFL wins by having a championship on the field for good teams, and the NFL wins by snookering its bad teams into relying on the Draft for future hope and turning that false hope into a 3-day made for TV event. (That draws incredible ratings, for zero game content.)
Going with the retro logo today.
Which brings me back to my point. For the past month, the local sports stations have saturated the market with Draft talk instead of talking Cavs or Indians. Cavs need rest, boring and aggravating story line. Indians? It's only April. The Columbus Blue Jackets made the playoffs you say? What about all that hockey talk. To local talk show hosts, the Blue Jackets might as well be Metallurg Magnitogorsk. So I'm going to be my own amateur draft guy with a Cleveland Browns perspective, just for fun and to make a few predictions.
1. Browns - DE Myles Garrett Texas A & M
I read one draft analysis that said "even the Browns can't screw this up." If they don't pick Garrett, fire everyone again.
5-11. TBD - Mitch Trubisky North Carolina
The Browns have floated the idea that they may want to take Trubisky #1, which means they really like someone else. They are trying to mind trick another team into trading ahead of them so they can take their true target....
12. Browns - QB Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech
In what promises to be an epic PR disaster, the tone-deaf Browns take yet another QB from a Texas school in the first round.
30. Steelers - Deshone Kizer Notre Dame
The Steelers take a QB in the first round, becomes their starter for the next 10 years after a year or two waiting for Big Ben to retire.
33. Browns - CB Marlon Humphrey Alabama
Supposedly the Browns are "for sure" taking a corner or safety at #33. So I drew names out of a hat. Really.
52. Browns RB Joe Mixon Oklahoma
"Our analytics said he was the best value on the board."
(Go ahead and google his off-field antics.)
65. Browns WR Josh Reynolds Texas A & M
After drafting 4 wide receivers last year, the Browns inexplicably pick another.
108. Browns OLB Ukeme Eligwe Georgia Southern
The Browns leverage Hue Jackson's experience at the Senior Bowl to draft this Outside Linebacker.
Again, forgetting that they play football in OHIO, the Browns load up on players from the south.