Lamar Jackson to Cameron Heyward: The best first-round NFL Draft picks at No. 26 or later in last decade
Updated 5:05 AM;
Today 5:05 AM
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson celebrate after Brown ran for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns in the second half. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
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CLEVELAND, Ohio Teams picking at the back end of the first round in the NFL Draft have been able to remain there by making shrewd selections and pouncing on players who fell to them.
That is the task that awaits the Browns on April 29, when they make the 26th pick in the NFL Draft.
After starting 47 of 48 games over his first three seasons, injuries forced Long to miss 34 of 64 contests from 2016-19. He announced he was walking away from the game following the 2019 campaign and sat out last season. Long revealed in March that he planned to resume his playing career in 2021 and signed with the Chiefs in March.
(2) The Bears spent the 20th pick in the 1952 draft on running back/return specialist Eddie Macon, the first Black player in franchise history.
Macon appeared in 23 games over two seasons with the Bears. He averaged 30.5 yards on 22 kickoff returns and 5.9 yards on 24 punt returns while also rushing for 324 yards and two touchdowns on 70 carries and catching 14 passes for 49 yards and 2 TDs.
Browns picking 26th in the NFL Draft: The unfortunate, the infamous and the forgotten
Updated 5:30 AM;
Today 5:30 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns have the 26th pick in first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Unless they trade out of the spot, the Browns will make their lowest initial pick of the first round since 1995 when they took Ohio State’s Craig Powell 30th overall.
Staying put would also see the Browns making their first pick at No. 26 since 1964.
But that’s misleading. The Browns and the 26th overall pick have had some history since 1964. That 1995 draft, for example, included the Browns holding the 26th pick at one point.
Is There a “Sweet Spot” for Drafting Quarterbacks?
Balancing potential reward against opportunity cost
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This article takes its inspiration from a recent discussion in the comments section of Hogs Haven. We were discussing the merits of selecting a QB in the first round versus later in the draft, when one frequent commenter wrote:
“By and large, mid-round QB picks are a terrible investment, especially when viewed against the steep opportunity cost of talented starters on cheap contracts at other positions of need. The hit rate on non-first-round QBs is truly abysmal…”
How often is the first QB selected the best in his draft class?
And other questions
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Ron Rivera exceeded most reasonable expectations in his first year as head coach and face of the new-look Washington Football franchise, leading last year’s train wreck to a division championship and giving the eventual Super Bowl champions their hardest playoff contest. Even as WFT fans were celebrating the better than expected finish, Rivera began to make it clear that to take the team much further he will need to find a franchise quarterback.
Ryan Fitzpatrick was signed a few weeks ago to provide a veteran presence. At 38 and starting for his ninth team, Fitzpatrick is clearly not the quarterback of the future. His signing does set the team up to draft and develop a quarterback, by relieving the pressure to draft a day one starter, or start a rookie too early. That is the path that most of the league’s best teams have followed to find their franchise QBs.