The Cleveland Browns clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft on Sunday.
The club's overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers dropped the Browns to 1-15 on the season, which gave Cleveland sole claim to the NFL's worst record. The San Francisco 49ers entered Week 17 as the only other contender for the No. 1 pick.
The Browns' draft needs include quarterback, interior offensive linemen and running back. Finding a solution at the quarterback position in the draft has long eluded the club, with Johnny Manziel being the most recent first-round miss in 2014. The Browns had 14 draft choices last year and selected one quarterback, Cody Kessler of USC, in the third round. NFL personnel executives have indicated reservations about the quality of the 2017 quarterback class, so this might not be the right year for the Browns to ring the quarterback bell again.
Cleveland also holds the Philadelphia Eagles' No. 1 pick. The Eagles traded Cleveland their top pick to move up and draft QB Carson Wentz in the 2016 draft.
NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes the Browns would be smart to invest both of their first-round selections on the defensive side of the ball, in a pass rusher and a safety.
The field of potential candidates for the No. 1 pick won't be set until after the Jan. 16 deadline for college underclassmen to file for early draft eligibility. Draft order is set from worst records to best, and in the case of tied records, schedule strength is used as a tiebreaker.
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