What Might the Cleveland Browns Do With the Indianapolis Colts’ 1st Round Pick in the NFL Draft?

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The 2014 NFL Draft begins on May 8th, and once again, the Cleveland Browns have a bevy of 1st round possibilities. This year, one of Cleveland’s two 1st round picks comes from the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis traded their first pick in this draft to the Browns for the rights to RB – Trent Richardson, in a much-discussed (and often argued about) move.

As usual, the Browns are a team in flux. They booted their head coach Rob Chudzinski, after a single sub par season. Oddly enough, Chudzinski is now an assistant coach with the Colts. The Browns have also recently dumped and reloaded several spots in their front office. On top of that, there is almost no position on the field that for Cleveland that couldn’t use at least a little polishing.

The Browns have the 4th overall and the 26th overall selections in May’s draft. Many NFL mock drafts have the Browns taking a quarterback with their top pick, possibly Teddy Bridgewater from Louisville or Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M. As the Browns approach the podium later in that round, the options open themselves up a bit more. Cleveland could take a bigger swing with their first pick, and try to wait for a quarterback to fall to the 26th spot. The Browns could also look for a weapon to help their new signal caller, although there could be a run of defensive linemen around the mid-to-late parts of round one.

Regardless of who the Browns choose to take with the Colts’ selection, the decision will be scrutinized heavily in both Cleveland and Indianapolis. The Richardson trade may be perfect opportunity for the Browns to finally find stability in their franchise, after nearly 15 years of obscurity. Fans of the Colts will also watch the 26th overall selection closely, to see what Indianapolis may have missed out on acquiring.

The real weight rests on the shoulders of Trent Richardson. If the running back can produce up to his potential for the Colts, then the move will be beneficial for both sides. If Richardson continues to disappoint on the field, then this could end up being one of the most lopsided trades in recent history.