First round

No. 1 overall: Sam Darnold, QB, USC

While this is still guesswork, it’s a very safe bet that the No. 1 pick will be a quarterback. Darnold makes a lot of sense if the Browns sign a veteran like AJ McCarron or Sam Bradford as a stopgap. I didn’t do free agency with this edition, but I do expect that to happen.

Darnold arguably has the highest upside of any quarterback in this class and he’s a proven competitor at a big-time program with high expectations. His mechanics and body coordination while throwing need tweaking and he must learn to protect the ball better.

No. 4 overall: Derwin James, safety, Florida State

Surprise! Instead of Saquon Barkley or Minkah Fitzpatrick, the choice is Florida State’s superb safety. This presumption goes in hand with the possibility of Jabrill Peppers moving to the box safety role in Gregg Williams’ defense. Someone has to play the centerfield free safety role, and in this draft class, there isn’t anyone close to James in terms of potential at safety. That includes Fitzpatrick.