The Cleveland Browns have been searching for their franchise quarterback for a long time. Ever since the Bernie Kosar era, the organization has been looking for another superstar type quarterback to lead this team back to the glory days.

The one could be just like Kosar, right in their backyard.

North Carolina junior Mitch Trubisky, a Mentor native declared for the NFL Draft Monday morning through a letter on the Players Tribune.

Trubisky won Mr. Football and had 125 total touchdowns (92 passing, 33 rushing) during his time at Mentor High School. He elected to go to North Carolina for his education and to continue his football career.

He was redshirted his freshman year and backed up Marquise Williams in 2014 and 2015. Finally got his opportunity to start this season and made the most of it. In 13 starts, he completed 68.2% of his passes for 3,748 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 308 yards and five touchdowns while leading the Tar Heels to a 8-5 record and a Sun Bowl appearance where they lost to Stanford 25-23.

Trubisky’s success has put him at the top of the quarterback class for the 2017 NFL Draft. The latest mock drafts also have him projected as a top five pick in the draft.

The Cleveland Browns hold the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft and has some serious questions about the quarterback position.

Robert Griffin III didn’t meet expectations and might not be back. Cody Kessler still needs improvement and shouldn’t be looked at as a long term option for the franchise. Josh McCown still is on the roster but I’d expect he won’t be returning unless it’s on the coaching staff under Hue Jackson.

The Browns should really strongly consider drafting Trubisky with the first pick. They’re never going to get anywhere unless we find that quarterback. Until they find it, they’ll going to continue being a bad organization and keep firing coaches and general managers because they can’t find the franchise quarterback.

 

Look at other teams in recent years who were bad for a extended period and then they found the quarterback.

The Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were bad organizations for sometime.

They each went and drafted Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston respectively.

The Raiders went to the playoffs this year for the first time since 2002 but lost in the first round after Carr broke his leg.

The Titans went 9-7 and are on the rise as they build around Mariota.

The Buccaneers went 9-7 and just missed the playoffs but the future looks bright with Winston under center.

The Browns can find that quarterback in this draft whether it’s Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer or whomever they think is the guy.

Can Hue Jackson and Sashi Brown find that guy? We’ll see this offseason because they can’t come back with Griffin and Kessler as the only quarterbacks. They need to find someone whether it’s through the draft or whether it’s already in the league as a free agent or trade acquisition.

I would take Trubisky at number one, I think he’s the best quarterback in the draft, he’s got great poise in the pocket, an NFL arm and the mobility needed to succeed as an NFL quarterback. I also think he should sit for a year because with the limited experience he had in college, he’s not a finished product for the NFL.

Sitting behind Griffin or whomever the Browns add as a veteran along with Kessler will be good for him and learning under Hue Jackson’s guidance and coaching will be even better for Trubisky.

If the Browns do draft him, the fan base should be patient with him and don’t expect an elite prospect from the start, give him time as we should with this regime.