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What's next for the Browns after nailing 1st round of draft?

Glenn Andrews / USA TODAY Sports

Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns, and spent the last 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of the podcast "Football Today."

The Cleveland Browns know what they are doing. That might sound like crazy talk after witnessing blunder after blunder that this organization has shown us since rejoining the league, but hear me out.

First off, Cleveland's decision-makers are totally different human beings than those that screwed things up for the Browns over and over in the past. They deserve some benefit of the doubt. There is a very distinct plan in place to bring the Browns back to respectability. It's all about draft picks.

Extreme measures have been made to ensure Cleveland has an ungodly amount of draft capital since this new regime took over. In the 2016 draft, the Browns made a whopping 14 picks. While the jury is out on that entire draft class, the intentions were abundantly clear. That first draft class from this front office was all about the passing game, a concept that makes a great deal of sense in today’s NFL. In that draft, the Browns drafted four wide receivers (and a move tight end), three edge rushers, quarterback Cody Kessler, and Shon Coleman as edge protection at offensive tackle.

Thus far, after one day of this draft class, Cleveland not only made the layup choice in selecting the draft's far and away best player in Myles Garrett, but also added extreme playmaking talent and athleticism with the selections of Jabrill Peppers with the 25th selection and David Njoku at 29. As was the case in last year's draft class, Garrett, Peppers, and Njoku help the Browns first and foremost in the passing game. And wow, is this threesome dripping with upside and athletic ability.

Before we get to what Cleveland should do with the insane amount of draft capital it possesses going forward, we must address the elephant in the room: quarterback. Kessler has lifetime high-end backup written all over him. Don't discredit the value such a player has at the most important position in the league, but none of us are here to argue that Kessler is the man to take this team to the promise land. He is a placeholder/long-term valuable backup.

There's much speculation involved with this, but next year's draft class is widely considered to be far more talented at the top of the quarterback class. Not only that, but Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, and AJ McCarron are all set to hit free agency once the 2017 season concludes. In case you didn't notice, not only do the Browns have an insane amount of premium draft picks in the near future, but they also have gobs of salary cap space, which was why they could take on Brock Osweiler's contract in exchange for Houston's second-round pick a year from now. After allowing the Texans to move up for Deshaun Watson, Cleveland now also owns Houston's first-round pick next year, as well. The Browns now have the ability to do anything they want in the 2018 draft.

What the Browns need to do from this point going forward is build up their stock in premium positions and add talented young player after talented young player. It certainly seems as though Cleveland very much wanted to add Mitchell Trubisky to its haul this year, but in a way, it might have lucked out that the Bears jumped to the second spot to haul in the signal-caller from North Carolina.

In most years, Trubisky would not be the first quarterback selected. With the wealth of resources the Browns have tied up in next year's draft, they should have the immense buying power to move to any spot in the draft they so chose for an even more desirable passer than Trubisky. Heck, Cleveland could certainly earn the first overall pick again on its own merits.

Rome wasn't built in a day and if the Browns' ownership is actually on board with this radical approach to rebuilding, the payoff could be gigantic. Even though it has added many pieces since the season ended, Cleveland is still set up for another productive struggle in 2017. But that struggle could pay off in a massive way.

Meanwhile, with six rounds of the draft in front of us, the Browns are set to make even more noise with young foundation players. Here is how they should handle Rounds 2 through 7 on Friday and Saturday.

As has become their way of doing things, Cleveland has pushed its assets to a year in advance. Still, the Browns selected three players in the draft's first frame and own the 20th pick in the second round, as well as the first pick in Round 3.

Of course, they could use some of their immense 2018 draft capital to make a move to acquire a player they covet. But if the Browns stay put with those two selections, they should focus even further on improving their pass defense.

This draft is amazingly rich in edge rushers, cornerbacks, and safeties. Cleveland already has Garrett and Peppers in place, but could use yet another pure edge guy, and the secondary is still a massive work in progress. There's much remaining in terms of prospects for Cleveland to improve in these critical areas. Round 2 and beyond are littered with intriguing edge players and especially defensive backs.

Then, after another season with far more losses than wins, the Browns can strike in free agency, attacking their franchise quarterback and especially in next year's draft to complete this long grueling process and build what very well could be an exceptionally young, cheap, and talented roster for the 2018 season.

Just because of the recent history of this organization, it is easy to make jokes. But if the Browns hit on their draft picks and implement their abilities to add a big time quarterback, it might not be long before they rise to the league's upper tier. But it is going to take time.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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