With one week to go before the Browns are officially on the clock, John Dorsey said Cleveland will keep its options as it continues to evaluate this year's best prospects, including several potential franchise-caliber quarterbacks.
"I'm going to consider all options," the Browns general manager said Thursday. "I'm going to do what's best for the organization."
After the first winless season in team history, the Browns own two top-five selections — including the No. 4 pick via a draft day trade with the Texans last year — and can add more talent to a roster that's already acquired Tyrod Taylor, Jarvis Landry and several other standouts expected to contribute next year.
Amid speculation Cleveland will use one of those picks on a signal-caller of the future, Dorsey insisted the front office is still working through its process to determine who it will select.
But to be certain, the Browns have made clear their intention to draft a quarterback after years of instability at the position, a dynamic that proved especially flummoxing in 2017. Since the start of the new league year, Cleveland has traded away all three passers — DeShone Kizer, Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan — from last season and brought in Taylor (who was named the starter for 2018 after three seasons in Buffalo) and veteran backup Drew Stanton.
Over the past month, the Browns have hosted top quarterbacks in USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Wyoming's Josh Allen on pre-draft visits. They're all contenders to be the team's top selection.
Dorsey, though, stressed that non-quarterbacks — like Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and N.C. State edge rusher Bradley Chubb — are also in the mix at No. 1. Barkley and Chubb are widely considered the best-overall prospects in this year's class. "You can't have enough good football players," Dorsey said
Dorsey, hired in December to lead the organization through a potentially pivotal offseason, remains open to dealing the first overall pick if that's what's best for the team long-term.
Whatever happens, he's in no rush to a make a decision (or tip his hand).
"I'm very confident where we are in the process right now," he said. "The draft is seven days away."
