The Cleveland Browns players may be away licking their wounds from the early season disappointment of starting 2-7, enjoying their bye week. Their scouts get no break this time of year as college football ramps up and team needs become clearer.

The Browns could target several positions early in the draft, including the quarterback position. It appears the team is poised to move on from Deshaun Watson, who was the long-term answer at the most important position in all of pro sports.

With so many of the quarterbacks who are deemed to be the top options in next year’s draft playing, I decided to dedicate most of the day to watching them and getting a true first impression. I usually avoid paying much attention to college while the NFL is going on as I don’t like to be influenced heavily before watching some game tape.

That said, I am online and run across the narratives and highlights that get posted about them. The following are some early thoughts from the live watch and first impressions from some of the top options.

I did not see all of the snaps from each of these guys as I was flipping back and forth between games, however, it was enough to give some initial thoughts.

Cam Ward – Miami

He has a live arm and has the ability to throw with anticipation. While he is able to avoid pressure in the pocket by making guys miss, his play style leads to too many sacks. Elite ability to make plays out of structure is normally a strength but after the Watson experience, it could be a red flag.

His accuracy is above average, and while he didn’t throw any interceptions in the game he did force throws that were risky. His body type stands out as a question mark. While there is no issue with height and weight, I do think his hand size and arm length may be shorter than average.

Quinn Ewers- Texas

Ewers turned in an impressive performance and I was surprised based on the expectations I had coming in. It was the first time I saw him since last year’s playoffs.

He was accurate with his ball placement for the majority of the day despite leaving a few deep balls slightly under-thrown. I liked his mechanics overall and the throwing motion looked clean.

Has better than average size and looks to be a decent athlete to be mobile enough at the next level. I didn’t dig into situational stats after the game, but he seemed to fare well against the blitz.

Shedeur Sanders- Colorado

Sanders and their offense got off to a slow start and looked out of rhythm for much of the first half. He was as accurate as what I perceived he’d be coming in. Receivers didn’t have to work hard for competitions and his overall mechanics are really smooth from pocket.

A bit of a lean frame but I’d expect him to add lean muscle early in his career. He may be the safest option in the class and ready to play in the right system.

Kurtis Rourke- Indiana

The player I was most intrigued to watch for the day was Rourke. His size is the first thing that stands out but it doesn’t make him an awkward athlete like most.

Obviously he’s had a knee injury that I’m unfamiliar with, but overall he can be mobile enough to make plays at next level. He made some impressive throws early.

He struggled with ball placement on a few RPO attempts including an interception. Flinched a few times as pressure was coming. Definitely want and need to watch more.

In summary, at this way too early point, I think the Browns should avoid taking any of these guys with a top-ten pick in the draft with the exception of Sanders. Even then, they need to be completely sure there’d be no drama involved which I’m not sure is possible.

I’m more intrigued by the idea of taking a shot on a guy like Ewers in the second round as a possible long-term solution. I know that may not be a popular choice but in my opinion, he has a lot of tools to work with.