Spring is in the air, which for sports fans, means baseball.
Unfortunately, for Ohio sports fans, it is often easier to focus on the upcoming NFL draft, where hope can always spring eternal, as both the Indians and the Reds are, as of the writing of this column, under .500.
Granted, it is a small sample size in a season that lasts 162 games, but let’s focus on the draft. The first round is only a week away, and both Ohio teams have two first round picks.
The first two picks are guaranteed- the Indianapolis Colts will draft Andrew Luck, and after paying a king’s ransom, the Washington Redskins will draft Robert Griffin III.
After that, it gets a little tricky. The Browns have the fourth overall pick, as well as 22nd overall pick. With that valuable four spot, the Browns have their picking of offensive weapons. Justin Blackmon (WR, Oklahoma State) and Trent Richardson (RB, Alabama) will both still be on the board.
As a Browns fan, I would be ok with either of these choices. However, their is a wildcard in the mix-Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill actually started his collegiate playing career as a wide receiver before transitioning to QB.
I do not think he is any better than Colt McCoy. He may not be any worse either. But the fact remains that the fourth overall pick is too high to take someone who has only played his position for two years.
The 22nd pick is harder to predict, but according to various draft sources, they are looking at taking Jonathan Martin (OT, Stanford) if he is still on the board.
The Browns get this pick courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons via last year’s trade for the pick that would result in Julio Jones.
And yet another scenario is Cleveland trading down and not taking anyone with the fourth pick, a sure death sentence for a team with zero fantasy starters, no matter how deep your league is.
Let us focus on the Ohio team that actually made the playoffs last year, the Cincinnati Bengals. As a Browns fan, it pains me to say that this team has drafted very well in the past few seasons, and it will be interesting to see if they can continue that streak with the 17th and 21st pick (the former via the Oakland Raiders). With Andy Dalton and AJ Green, the Bengals are doing alright on playmakers. Instead, they will likely focus on their secondary and offensive line. This late in the first round, steals are still readily available. Stephon Gilmore (CB, South Carolina) is thought by NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock to actually be the second best cornerback available in the 2012 NFL Draft. If he is there at 17, look for the Bengals to pull the trigger.
Further on down the line is probably when Cincinnati will address their line issues. They could chose from Cordy Glenn (OG, Georgia), or the aforementioned Jonathan Martin. It all depends on who they feel will better fit into their system.
Regardless of who drafts who, I guarantee this prediction will remain true- the Browns and the Bengals will find themselves in the same position next year, trying to win their first Superbowl.
