The Cleveland Browns seem destined to take a quarterback in this NFL draft, and that choice could come with the second overall pick.
However, the possibility exists the team will go with the best player available, and that might not be a quarterback.
Who are the top possibilities if that happens? Here is a look:
Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State -- Ramsey might be the best overall player in the draft. He can play corner, he can play safety, and he can play both well. A top defensive back can transform a defense (think Troy Polamalu, Richard Sherman, Ed Reed), and the Browns lack cornerback depth. Ramsey believes he is the best player in the draft, which is the kind of confidence a cornerback needs. Ramsey was a three-time All-American at a top program. If teams drafted based purely on ability and athleticism, he would probably be the first pick.
Browns fit: He would fit well. The Browns lost both their starting safeties from 2015. Tramon Williams gives great effort, but he gave up a lot of big plays in '15 and he's 33. If Ramsey is all he's said to be, he'd be a perfect fit opposite Joe Haden, which in theory would give the Browns two very good cover corners.
Laremy Tunsil, OT, Mississippi -- The conventional wisdom had Tunsil going first to the Titans, giving the team someone to protect last year's second overall pick, quarterback Marcus Mariota, but they traded the pick to the Rams. Tunsil played left tackle in college, but could play right, as well. He's considered the best lineman in the draft. But he missed time in '13 with a knee injury, in '14 with a partially torn biceps and dislocated ankle/broken leg and in '15 he was suspended seven games for NCAA violations. He also was arrested on a domestic violence charge against his stepfather. Character issues should not be minimized when a team drafts as high as the Browns do.
Browns fit: Mitchell Schwartz is gone and there is no clear player to take over. Tunsil could play right tackle while Joe Thomas is still a Brown, and when Thomas retires or goes elsewhere, Tunsil could move to left tackle. He has great potential, but significant red flags.
Myles Jack, LB, UCLA -- Jack may be the best defensive prospect in the draft, and second best overall player. He plays the run, he plays the pass. He does not have to come off the field. At 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds he projects as an inside player, but ESPN's Louis Riddick opined in this Insider piece that Jack can play all three linebacker spots. Jack played just three games for UCLA in '15 due to a torn meniscus. He had surgery in September and still is not totally healthy. But he projects extremely well.
Browns fit: The team has two inside linebackers it likes, including free-agent signee Demario Davis. But a linebacker with Jack's skills on the field every down would look good outside. Jack could be an outstanding pro. The Browns have other needs that seem more pressing, but Jack is the kind of player a team passes on only to regret it as he puts up Pro Bowl season after Pro Bowl season.
DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon -- Most any team would relish a 6-7 defensive end. He's a good pass-rusher, and very good against the run. In 2015 he had 10 1/2 sacks. Buckner is durable (he played in 54 games in four seasons) and had 30 tackles for a loss. He is versatile, in that he can play end in a 4-3 or a 3-4. He's generally considered the best defensive lineman in the draft.
Browns fit: He and Ramsey are probably the best fits for the style of defense the Browns want to play. But it would take some gumption for the Browns to pass on a quarterback to pick a 3-4 lineman.
Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State -- The question with the Ohio State star: Is he purely a 4-3 player? Bosa probably isn't big enough to play end in a 3-4, and he might not have the coverage ability to play outside linebacker. Even with that, Bosa has exceptional talent and pass-rush ability.
Browns fit: It's tough, simply, to see Bosa in the 3-4 alignment Ray Horton wants to use. Horton would have to be creative to maximize Bosa's skills. That can happen, but it just seems like it would be a tough transition for Bosa in Cleveland -- especially at the second overall spot. Knowing the Browns' fortunes, they'll pass on Bosa and he'll wind up going to Pro Bowls as a Baltimore Raven.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State -- Elliott's stock has risen steadily since the college season ended. He's a talented, tough runner, and some draftniks have said he's the best back to come out since Adrian Peterson in 2007. It seems like some of the same things were being said about Trent Richardson, but we digress. Elliott's Ohio State production was outstanding: 41 touchdowns in two seasons (how valuable is a guy who scores?), 3,699 yards, 6.6 yards per carry and 55 receptions. Elliott has so much ability, he's shattering the belief of teams that taking a running back in the top 10 is not a wise idea in this day and age.
Browns fit: If he's another Peterson, he'd fit anywhere. But the Browns just don't seem inclined to lean toward a running back with the second pick.