CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is it safer to pick someone other than a quarterback at No. 1 in the NFL Draft?

The obvious answer is, "It depends what quarterbacks are available."

I checked the last 20 years of drafts, and here is what happened to non-quarterbacks who were the top picks:

1996: Keyshawn Johnson picked by the New York Jets. He made three Pro Bowls, caught 814 passes. He was an excellent receiver for years.

1997: Orlando Pace picked by the Rams. The Ohio State product was selected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 because of his great play as a left tackle.

2000: Courtney Brown picked by the Browns. Browns fans know the story of the defensive end from Penn State. He had decent rookie year. Major injuries followed, including microfracture knee surgery. He had 4.5 sacks in his first five games of 2001 before suffering his first big knee injury. He played 60 games in six years, never was the same after that initial knee problem.

2006: Mario Williams picked by Houston. He has made four Pro Bowls. He was a very good pass rusher from 2006-14.

2008: Jake Long picked by Miami. The left tackle made four Pro Bowls in his first four seasons. But major injuries began in 2012. His career hit a wall after that.

2013: Eric Fisher picked by Kansas City. The left tackle has not made a Pro Bowl. He had a slow start to his career but has developed into a good starter. The Chiefs re-signed him to a four-year, $48 million extension in 2016. At that point, he was the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

2014: Jadeveon Clowney picked by Houston. He made the 2016 Pro Bowl. He had knee problems as a rookie, starting only two games. It wasn't until 2016 that he began to show why the Texans made him the top pick. He made second-team All-NFL by Associated Press. He's only 24, so more good stuff should be coming if he stays healthy.

What's the point?

1. Five of the seven non-quarterbacks picked at top of the draft have made Pro Bowls.

2. Fisher was the top pick in the awful 2013 draft. At least he is a viable starter and has been rewarded with a contract extension. Six of the top 10 picks in 2013 are with different teams, including Browns selection of Barkevious Mingo. No. 2 pick Luke Joeckel has had major knee problems. No. 3 pick Dion Jordan has been a nightmare with suspensions, etc.

3. Besides Fisher, the other top pick not to make a Pro Bowl was Courtney Brown.

4. This data makes a strong case for Myles Garrett being the safest move at the top of the draft. That's especially true because the defensive end from Texas A&M is viewed as the consensus best player in the draft by the majority of draft experts. This is not like 2013, when no one was especially sure who to take at No. 1.

SKIPPING A QUARTERBACK AT NO. 1

In 2014 (Clowney), the top three quarterbacks picked were Blake Bortles (No. 3, Jacksonville), Johnny Manziel (No. 22, Browns) and Teddy Bridgewater (No. 32, Minnesota). Browns fans know the Manziel story. Bortles is struggling as a starter with Jacksonville. Bridgewater showed promise as a starter until suffering a major knee injury last season.

In 2013 (Eric Fisher), the top three quarterbacks picked were E.J. Manuel (No. 16, Buffalo), Geno Smith (No. 39, Jets) and Mike Glennon (No. 73, Tampa Bay). Nothing special there.

In 2008 (Jake Long), the top three quarterbacks picked were Matt Ryan (No. 3, Atlanta), Joe Flacco (No. 18, Baltimore) and Brian Brohm (No. 56, Packers). Ryan and Flacco have gone to Super Bowls. Both are franchise-type quarterbacks.

In 2006 (Mario Williams), the top three quarterbacks picked were Vince Young (No. 3, Tennessee), Matt Leinart (No. 10, Arizona) and Jay Cutler (No. 11, Denver). Cutler has been a long-term starter, but generally very average.

In 2000 (Courtney Brown), the top three quarterbacks picked were Chad Pennington (No. 18, Jets), Giovanni Carmazzi (No. 65, San Francisco) and Chris Redman (No. 75, Baltimore). Pennington was a decent starter. The others are very forgettable.

In 1997 (Orlando Pace), the top three quarterbacks picked were Jim Druckenmiller (No. 26, San Francisco) Jake Plummer (No. 42, Arizona) and Danny Wuerffel (No, 99, Saints). That was a quarterback disaster.

In 1996 (Keyshawn Johnson), the top three quarterbacks picked were Tony Banks (No. 42, Rams), Bobby Hoying (No. 85, Philadelphia) and Jeff Lewis (No. 100, Denver). No starters there.

Bottom line: The big miss was in 2008 where Ryan and Flacco would probably now be considered the top players in that draft because of the importance of the position. In 2014, Derek Carr (No. 36, Oakland) has emerged as the best quarterback in that draft. You can find some other quarterbacks deep in various drafts. But in general, skipping the quarterback at No. 1 has worked out for most teams who did so in the last 20 years.

ABOUT QUARTERBACKS

1. It's taken me a while to decide, but I'm joining the pack of those who think Mitch Trubisky is the best quarterback in this draft. That said, it would be a massive mistake for the Browns to make him the No. 1 pick. I'm in the "Don't think about it, draft Myles Garrett" camp.

2. Trubisky has real potential as a pro quarterback. He moves well in the pocket and he's a gifted athlete. His arm strength is not great, but good enough. He threw only six interceptions in 446 passes last season, counting two in the Sun Bowl. Bouncing back from two interceptions in that game to finish in the fourth quarter was impressive. He knew a lot was at stake with all pro scouts watching.

3. But he played in the shotgun, the spread-type offenses. He is going to need time to adjust to the pro game. Carson Wentz was greatly aided by playing in a pro-style offense at North Dakota State, where he took snaps under center in 2015. No. 2 pick Wentz had a huge advantage over No. 1 pick Jared Goff, who played in a simplistic offense at California.

4. I can see why most scouts believe Tribusky will be taken in the top 10. In my mind, he stands out from the other quarterbacks. He completed 68 percent of his passes. For his sake, I hope he doesn't have to start Day One in the NFL on a bad team.

5. Some draft analysts love Patrick Mahomes because he is athletic with a rocket arm. But as draft expert Dane Brugler wrote: "Mahomes is a free thrower who looks like he's playing backyard football, relying more on time and feel than mechanics and structure ... he is nowhere near ready for NFL snaps."

6. But I have talked to some NFL people who like Mahomes because of the talent. He was the Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year as a marketing major. I have major doubts, others are very intrigued.

7. I kind of like Pitt's Nathan Peterman, but he is more like a Cody Kessler-type quarterback. Doesn't fit with Browns.

8. DeShone Kizer physically looks like an NFL quarterback at 6-foot-4. 233 pounds. He had a nightmare year at Notre Dame. Like most quarterbacks in this draft, it's so easy to make a case against him being a success in the NFL. But he was considered a top prospect in 2015, then regressed. I wondered if he can return to that 2015 form with the right coach.

9. Deshaun Watson was a big-time player in a powerhouse Clemson program who looked his best against Alabama in two national title games. Hard to dismiss that, even if he runs around a lot and doesn't have great arm strength. He had a 32-3 record as a starter at Clemson. Throwing from the pocket is not his strength. Nor did he play in a pro offense.

10. Before the NCAA title game, I made a Plain Dealer video where I compared Watson to Dak Prescott. Part of what made Prescott was being surrounded by all the talent in Dallas. Then he was smart enough and had the proper poise and leadership to thrive. Perhaps Watson can do the same. Out of this group, Trubisky seems the most NFL-ready passer.