NFL legend Jim Brown opens up on what he really thinks about Baker Mayfield
With all due respect to LeBron James, Jim Brown is still seen as Ohio’s greatest athlete ever.
Even though the Hall of Fame running back wasn’t born in the state, he led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL championship and is arguably the greatest player in NFL history.
So when Jim Brown speaks, people take note, and Brown was in Dallas over the weekend for the NFL draft.
The Browns surprised many by selecting Baker Mayfield first overall, and Brown said a lot about the pick by actually saying very little.
“No comment,” Brown responded when asked by TMZ if he was happy with the Mayfield pick.
Brown is currently a special adviser to his old team, but it appears he didn’t have much influence over the first overall draft pick.
Someone he would have liked the franchise to select unsurprisingly plays the same position that Brown once did. Saquon Barkley was in the running to be the first running back since 1995 to go first overall, but the Browns went with a quarterback and Barkley went to the Giants with the No. 2 pick.
Earlier in the week Brown was asked if Barkley should be the No. 1 overall pick, and he expressed his desire that the former Nittany Lion would call Cleveland home.
“I hope so,” said Brown when asked if Barkley should go No. 1. “I think it’s an individual situation. But I think Mr. Barkley would be a wonderful addition to the Cleveland Browns.”
Pressed further, he said, “Well I would hope that they would pick him No. 1. But of course I don’t have all that information, but I like him.”
With Barkley gone, the Browns then selected Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward at No. 4, which also raised some eyebrows.
Just as Barkley was seen as the best offensive player in the draft, N.C. State defensive end Bradley Chubb was seen as the best defensive player in the draft, and the Browns landed neither player despite having two top-four picks.
https://twitter.com/JamilSmith/status/989666467183497218
Even though the Browns didn’t land Jim Brown’s preferred selection, they did end up with a running back that he was high on, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
Legend Jim Brown announces Browns selection of UGA RB Nick Chubb. GM John Dorsey, historian of the game, asked Brown to evaluate 3 RBs in this draft class. Nobody had ever asked Brown to do that. Safe to say Chubb was one of them #Browns
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 27, 2018
Nick Chubb of Georgia, who finished his college career as the second-leading rusher in SEC history, was selected in the second round by Cleveland. It is the highest the Browns have drafted a running back since whiffing on Trent Richardson with the third overall pick in 2012.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
