Forget Johnny Manziel, He Wasn't Even The Browns' Biggest Bust IN THAT DRAFT!

Jason Miller. Getty Images.

The entire world is on fire talking about Johnny Football again after his new documentary on Netflix just dropped. I have a ton of opinions on how it was done and how they portrayed Johnny but we'll save those for another day. The Browns should be gargling the producers kibbles n' bits for only dedicating 15 minutes to post-draft Johnny Manziel.

But someone who should be thanking Manziel for not only this documentary but his entire existence is the guy who was an even bigger bust that year for the Browns: Justin Gilbert. 

Sure, Manziel was the quarterback but he was also taken 22nd overall. And people forget all the goofy shit that had to happen for that pick to become a reality. A homeless guy told Browns owner Jimmy Haslam to draft Manziel, then Haslam didn't like Teddy Bridgewater's handshake so he ignored the $100k analytical report he had commissioned to help them select a QB, and finally Johnny had to send the infamous "wreck this league" text to a Browns coach.  

These are all real things that happened to a real NFL franchise that have shaved real years off my already miserable existence. With that much ridiculous shit going into a 22nd overall pick it's no surprise it didn't work out.

But the eighth overall pick out of Oklahoma State Justin Gilbert, that's a completely different story. 

Gilbert had 12 career INTs and 17 career passes defensed in college. There is no denying he made a ton of plays his senior season. 

Gilbert was a highly touted defensive back prospect who showed a ton of spark on the field but basically zero fire off of it. Something that could should have easily been discovered in a pre-draft interview. The only issue there is THE BROWNS NEVER EVEN FUCKING TALKED TO OR SCOUTED THE KID BEFORE THE DRAFT.

It would have taken one interview to see Gilbert had zero drive to play in the NFL. It would have taken probably two or three background interviews to find out Gilbert "had problems waking up to alarm clocks." It would have taken maybe five total minutes of looking in the young man's eyes to see he wasn't built for this. 

Gilbert started just two games his rookie season, recording one INT. After that he started just one more game and was out of the league two years later. An eighth overall pick who didn't even last three full seasons and started just three total games. 

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Now that my friends is as monumental of a bust as you can get. I'm talking running up in Margot Robbie raw levels of bust.

Especially when you consider all the guys taken directly around him in the draft…

Not sure if you have ever heard of Taylor Lewan, OBJ, Khalil Mack, or Aaron fucking Donald but they were all pretty damn good at professional football. And they played more than three seasons, which is always nice. 

Instead, the Browns went full Browns and drafted a guy they basically knew nothing about because the head coach who wouldn't even be there the next year liked what he saw in a few Oklahoma State games. Just an absolute abomination of a franchise painting their fuck up Mona Lisa. 

The Browns could have survived Manziel not working out had they hit on the Gilbert pick. Hell, the Browns have selected a bucnh of shit bag QBs late in the first round. Manziel, Brandon Weeden, Brady Quinn. But you can't be pissing away top-10 picks when there is literal Hall of Fame talent on the board.

Even when Gilbert was drafted he knew Manziel would act as a shield for criticism and pressure coming to Cleveland.

Yeah, no shit. Then and now apparently. 

We still talk about Johnny like some all-time bust but the 22nd overall pick is far from a lock. This isn't absolving Manziel of his dip-shittery he pulled in his "career." Far from it. But it is the reality of the draft.

The 8th overall pick though? You need to hit on that every single time you have it. You need to know that guy is going to be good. And not only didn't the Browns know, they didn't even care to do some research to find out. Which makes this quote all the more depressing and infuriating.

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I too am yelling out the window. Except mine is a blood-curdling scream followed by the question, "why am I a Cleveland Browns fan and how do I make it stop?!" Someone please make it stop.