Browns make the correct first overall selection in ESPN's 2018 re-draft

The 2018 NFL Draft featured a stellar class, as only nine first-round picks had their fifth-year options declined, and several current stars were overlooked in the later rounds. However, some picks clearly stood out from others in hindsight.

Reflecting on the event five years later, ESPN's Jordan Reid and Matt Miller published a two-round re-draft on Thursday based on what we know today. 

Five quarterbacks came off the board in the first round, starting with the No. 1 pick made by the Cleveland Browns following their 0-16 2017 season. After keeping the selection under wraps until draft day, Cleveland somewhat surprisingly chose Baker Mayfield. Although, in the re-draft, Reid and Miller have Bills star Josh Allen as the new first overall selection.

"[Allen] leads all 2018 signal-callers in career passing yards (18,397), and his 65 QBR since his rookie season ranks fourth among all NFL quarterbacks," the analysts wrote. "(Mayfield is now on his fourth team, and his 61.4% completion percentage since being drafted is 39th in the league.)"

While there's no denying Allen would've been a better choice, it's interesting to speculate whether he'd achieve the same success playing for the Browns and what the Cleveland fanbase would've thought about him in his early years. 

Over his first two seasons, Allen completed 56.3% of his passes for 5,163 yards, 30 touchdowns and 21 interceptions while posting a 78.2 passer rating. Mayfield, on the other hand, had a 61.5% completion rate across his first two years in the league, throwing for 7,552 yards, 49 touchdowns and 35 interceptions while registering a passer rating of 85.9. 

Allen reached the playoffs before Mayfield, earning a wild-card spot as a sophomore, whereas the Heisman Trophy winner qualified in his third season. Yet, it's hard to say that Allen achieves that level of success early on without Buffalo's defense, which allowed the second-fewest points per game in 2019 (16.2). Cleveland's defense, for comparison, allowed 24.6 ppg, 20th in the NFL that season. 

Of course, since 2020, it’s become apparent that Allen is one of the top three quarterbacks in the league and should remain in that position for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Mayfield is competing to be the starting quarterback for Tampa Bay, his fourth team since being drafted.

Allen's 15,192 total yards during the last three seasons trail only Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, and his 130 total touchdowns are the most among quarterbacks. Additionally, Buffalo has won the AFC East crown every season during that span. 

Aside from the first overall pick, Cleveland had four other selections that Reid and Miller redrafted. Cleveland also held the fourth pick in 2018, which it used on cornerback Denzel Ward, a two-time Pro Bowler, but who isn't as talented as safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the revised choice.

In the second round, the Browns held the Nos. 33, 35 and 64 picks, used for guard Austin Corbett, running back Nick Chubb and defensive end Tyquan Lewis, respectively. 

While Corbett was traded to Los Angeles in his second season, Chubb undoubtedly was the correct selection, which is why he was taken 11th overall in the re-draft. Lewis was also a selection made by the Colts thanks to a draft day trade, though Reid and Miller let Cleveland keep the pick in their article.

Therefore, the analysts penciled in cornerback D.J. Reed, tackle Braden Smith and linebacker Kyzir White, to be the new picks.

Taking the updated selections into account, it would've been interesting to see how the start of Allen's career played out in Cleveland and what the overall landscape of the NFL would look like as a result.