Hue Jackson mini camp 2016

Hue Jackson indicates he might like a QB better than Jared Goff or Carson Wentz.

(John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns coach Hue Jackson revealed Thursday that he doesn't necessary believe Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are the two best quarterbacks in the draft -- and that he might have someone else in mind after the blockbuster trade down from No. 2 to No. 8.

"Everybody keeps talking about two of the best quarterbacks in the draft, no one knows that, right?'' Jackson said at the conclusion of the voluntary minicamp. "We'll see how it all unfolds here in two or three years and see if we were right or wrong. But I feel very good about where we are and what we're doing.''

Jackson stressed that he'll do this his own way, and so will the Browns. In 2011, he felt Colin Kaepernick was the best quarterback in the draft, and he tried to trade up for him when he was with the Raiders. The 49ers beat him to the punch in the second round. The Browns considered trading him for this off-season, but couldn't agree on a deal.

"I told you guys before, I'm not like everybody else,'' Jackson said. "Our organization's not like everybody else. Everybody keeps saying about this player and that player. We go about doing our evaluation the way we do our evaluation. Okay? And that's not slighting the quarterbacks or any position. What we feel is best for our organization is what we've done.

"We've traded with the Eagles, we're now at No. 8, we have some tremendous picks this season and into the future. We feel very good about where we are. And I'm not really concerned about what anybody else feels or thinks about where we are.''

Jackson stressed throughout his press conference that he's not heartbroken over losing a shot at Goff or Wentz, whom the Browns studied thoroughly.

"That really doesn't matter,'' he said. "At the end of the day, they're really good players and they're going to have fine careers in the NFL. They're two really good young men and they're going to play in this league and obviously we'll all see how that unfolds but they were guys that we watched and dealt with and talked to, but at the same time, we're going to do what we feel is right for our organization moving forward. I feel very comfortable about what we did and where we're headed."

He declined to say if the Browns will turn their attention toward the second-tier quarterbacks such as Memphis' Paxton Lynch and Michigan State's Connor Cook. Jackson met with Lynch and his family at the Senior Bowl.

But he noted that he'll take one if "we feel there's a player who can help us.

"Everybody is anticipating that (Goff and Wentz) will go one and two. Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. Nobody really knows. But I feel very good about the four guys we have here. At the same time, we still know there's players in the draft that we might have an opportunity to acquire as well so we'll have to see how it unfolds.''

He said he agrees with the notion that you need a quarterback to win.

"But no one said we don't have a quarterback,'' he said. "I never said we will not add a quarterback as we continue to move forward. We'll see how the draft will unfold. There's still good quarterbacks. We'll see if there are any great quarterbacks out there as we venture through this draft.''

Jackson, known for developing quarterbacks such as Baltimore's Joe Flacco and Cincinnati's Andy Dalton, emphasized that franchise quarterbacks aren't necessarily born, but made. It means he likely believes there's a diamond in the rough in this bunch.

"Everybody keeps using that term very loosely about franchise quarterbacks,'' he said. "What are franchise quarterbacks? There's not Peyton Manning and Tom Brady walking around all the time. Every quarterback has to be coached and put in an environment so that he can be successful and be good. That's when guys start becoming franchise quarterbacks.''

He stressed that the signing of Robert Griffin III didn't influence the trade.

"I've said all along that we're still in our process of seeing what was best for us,'' he said. "We made the (trade) and that had nothing to do with the quarterback. At the end of the day, it is the best thing for us to do and I'm excited about it."

When the Browns presented their new head with the bounty of picks from the trade, including an extra No. 1 in 2017 and a No. 2 in 2018, Jackson was thrilled.

"I had a big smile on my face,'' he said. "I was excited and ecstatic about what Sashi (Brown) and his group has done for our football team. I truly believe that wholeheartedly.''