BEREA, Ohio -- Mike Pettine conceded Wednesday that if the Cleveland Browns had stayed in the fourth slot of the NFL draft they’d have taken wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

The Browns instead traded down, swapping first-round picks with the Buffalo Bills and acquiring next season’s first-round choice. After trading up from the ninth to the eighth spot, they took cornerback Justin Gilbert.

Apparently the lure of a future first-round pick meant more than Watkins’ ability, because Pettine said the preference is always to take a player ranked higher than the slot.

Watkins was the Browns' highest-ranked player, and they’d have been taking him fourth.

Blake Bortles has said more than once that he expected to be taken by the Browns with their first pick. Pettine said the team liked Bortles a lot -- especially after a good visit before the draft -- but they did not have a quarterback slotted at four.

How would the Browns look had they stayed at four? Their receiving group would probably be the same and include Watkins, who would eventually join Josh Gordon as the starting pair.

This season Watkins has 26 receptions for 311 yards and two touchdowns for Buffalo. That yardage leads every Browns receiver, and the two touchdowns would tie for the lead among Browns wide receivers.

Gilbert has struggled, and lost the nickelback job to undrafted rookie K'Waun Williams (though Williams’ status for Sunday is uncertain coming off a concussion).

Judging the draft at this point is too early.

Whether the Browns made the right move with Gilbert rather than Watkins will play out over time.