Throughout the evening (and the weekend, for that matter), no website will provide more up-to-date information and news from draft weekend.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Well, well, well. Who knew?
Justin Gilbert. Johnny Manziel. A second first-round pick in the 2015 draft from a Buffalo team very, very eager to get Sammy Watkins.
What a night for a first round. We have our real-time reporting of every draft development -- through the work of our cleveland.com and Plain Dealer reporters and columnists as well as from NFL reporters around the country. We'll see you again later Friday for the second and third rounds!
12:07 a.m.: We're wrapping up for the night, but in case you were wondering, here's what the Browns have remaining in picks over the next two days:
In the second round on Friday, the Browns own the third pick, No. 35 overall. In the third round, they have the 71st selection.
On Saturday's fourth round, the Browns own their pick in the sixth slot (106th overall); and the 27th pick (127th), which they obtained from the Colts in the Trent Richardson trade. They dealt away their fifth-round pick, and have the fourth slot in round six (180th) and picks third in round seven (218th).
12:01 a.m.: Here's Johnny Manziel talking about whether he'll have a chip on his shoulder from waiting to the 22nd pick.
“I believe so. At the same time, I’ve accomplished a dream of mine, being drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. What a blessing, what an honor it is. At the same time, there are a lot of teams that did pass me up. Just like I think with anybody in this draft that a team didn’t select them that they thought they might go to or thought that there was a possibility, you do grow a little bit of a chip. For me, just continue to try and get better and become a good football player.”
11:55 p.m.: From SI.com's Doug Farrar on the Manziel potential to be a star NFL quarterback.
With all the folderol about his on-field escapades and off-field persona, it’s quite possible that Manziel is still wildly underrated as a pure quarterback — but he has all the tools to succeed at any level. First, he’s not a run-around guy. He looks to pass first on designed pass plays, even when he’s flushed out of the pocket. He’s very light on his feet in the pocket, and when he has to run, he’s incredibly good at resetting and driving the ball downfield. Has an unusual feel for throwing accurately out of weird positions, which is both a positive and negative.
When he drives the ball, he can make any throw from the deep fade to the skinny post to all manner of short and intermediate timing throws. Has a plus-arm, though it’s not a Howitzer, and he’s learned to put air under the ball to help receivers with their timing. He’s a master at extending plays beyond their logical conclusions and directing receivers along the way. Has an innate sense of how to create holes in pass coverage with motion and redirection, and he’s coming into the NFL at a time when this attribute is far more prized than it used to be.
Manziel isn’t just a scrambler, he’s an outstanding pure runner — when he calls his own number on draws, he gets up to speed quickly, reads gaps patiently and has an extra gear in the open field. He’s very quick to set and throw — once he makes his decision to throw, there’s very little delay or wasted motion. Can make deep, accurate throws across his body, even when on the run. In general, he’s a rare thrower when under duress.
11:50 p.m.: The Browns are dominating the national media with the Manziel selection,
as proven by USA Today:
With TV cameras documenting his every move and facial expression, Manziel had to wait until the 22nd pick by the Cleveland Browns, who traded up four spots and took the draft's most dynamic playmaker – instantly making him the face of a tormented franchise.
"I'm a little biased, but I think he should have been the No. 1 pick," said Manziel's former Texas A&M teammate, receiver Mike Evans, who was drafted seventh overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "It's kind of sad. But I think he'll be (taken) by the end of the night. They're missing out on a great player."
11:46 p.m.: Pick No. 32, Minnesota Vikings select Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater
11:43 p.m.: Minnesota, which apparently tried to trade with Philadelphia to get Johnny Manziel away from Cleveland and failed, deals up to take Seattle's pick to close out tonight's selections.
11:42 p.m.: Mary Kay Cabot has an early post on the Manziel selection.
Manziel puts the national spotlight on the Browns and Cleveland. Question is, will his scrambling, improvising Houdini act translate well to the NFL?
His former college offensive coordinator Jake Spavital told cleveland.com he thinks Manziel will excel in a pass-oriented, uptempo scheme similar to the one he ran at Texas A&M.
"He's one of the most entertaining kids I've ever seen play the game,'' Spavital told cleveland.com. "He's one of the most competitive guys I've ever coached, but he's also one of the most emotional guys I've ever coached. Hopefully I'll get another guy like that someday, but he's very rare and unique.''
11:39 p.m.: Pick No. 31, Denver Broncos select Ohio State CB Bradley Roby
11:36 p.m.: Here's a surprise ... someone's marketing department is burning the midnight oil.
11:32 p.m.: Pick No. 30, San Francisco 49ers select Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward
11:26 p.m.: Pick No. 29, New England Patriots select Florida DE Dominique Easley
11:21 p.m.: Pick No. 28, Carolina Panthers select Florida State WR Kelvin Benjamin
11:20 p.m.: A quick analysis of the evening from Bud Shaw, focusing on Johnny Manziel:
Football just became a lot more interesting in Cleveland. Not necessarily better, but interesting.
That’s a low bar, but for one night anyway Johnny Manziel has a losing football city jumping over the moon. The Browns are off the clock in the first round and off the hook as far as Manziel’s vow to make teams pay who passed him up.
Good thing if you believe in retribution, because he was starting to look like “Carrie” in the prom scene by the time the Browns moved up from No. 26 and picked him with the No. 22 pick.
“Told myself that everything happened for a reason,” Manziel said. “I thought it would truly work out for me.”
11:17 p.m.: Pick No. 27, Arizona Cardinals select Washington State safety Deone Bucannon
11:14 p.m.: Ahem ... is the fun never ending tonight?
11:10 p.m.: Pick No. 26, Philadelphia Eagles select Louisville LB Marcus Smith
11:08 p.m.: From Terry Pluto on the selection of Johnny Football:
Manziel gives the Browns sizzle, attention and everything that Owner Jimmy Haslam craves for his franchise. While Brian Hoyer will be the starter heading into camp, the pressure will be on to play the kid from Texas A&M.
I'm not a Manziel fan. I worry about his scrambling and durability. He will probably either be a grand success for a whopping failure. And how he performs will help make or break the reputation of Farmer.
11:04 p.m.: Pick No. 26, San Diego Chargers select TCU CB Jason Verrett
11 p.m.: Pick No. 24, Cincinnati Bengals select Michigan State CB Darqueze Dennard
![Johnny Manziel]()
Johnny Manziel on Cleveland: "I figured it could be a potential landing spot ... had good conversations with Coach Shanahan and Coach Loggins and Mr. Haslam."AP10:57 p.m.: From NFL.com on Johnny Manziel:
A once-in-a-generation, run-around, ad-lib, sandlot-style quarterback who consistently won games playing a brand of fast-paced, jailbreak football that often goes off script and can be difficult both to game plan with and against.
Is most comfortable on the move outside the pocket where he can find open throwing lanes and see the field and will command mush rush and extra spy defenders. Has defied the odds and proven to be a great college-system quarterback, but still must prove he is willing to work to be great, adjust his hard-partying, Hollywood lifestyle and be able to inspire his teammates by more than his playmaking ability.
10:52 p.m.: Pick No. 23, Kansas City Chiefs select Auburn DE Dee Ford
10:51 p.m.: It's practically impossible not to consider the Browns the big winner of this first night ... not just for the super-hyped Manziel, but they picked the top cornerback in the draft in Justin Gilbert and added a first-round pick in 2015 from Buffalo -- and that doesn't figure to be a second-half of the round selection.
Meanwhile, WKNR has a sound bite for the next 10 years as Aaron Goldhammer lost his mind on the air as Twitter revealed the pick before Goodell did.
10:43 p.m.: No. 22 Pick, Cleveland Browns select Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel
"I really, truly believed that the Cleveland Browns was where I was supposed to end up," Manziel tells ESPN.
10:42 p.m.: Browns trade up to the No. 22 spot with Eagles... and get ...
10:41 p.m.: A couple of scribbles on Gilbert and the Browns from Terry Pluto:
Mike Pettine loves to rush the passer. For that to happen, the blitz-happy Pettine needs cornerbacks who can cover. So Gilbert fits into that mindset. The rookie head coach loves speed, so that's another reason for Gilbert's selection. Gilbert ran back six kickoffs for touchdowns in his career.
Wonder if the Browns will use Gilbert to return kicks. Travis Benjamin is coming off knee surgery. Do you use a rookie cornerback on special teams? Interesting to see what Pettine does.
10:34 p.m.: No. 21 Pick, Green Bay Packers select Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
10:33 p.m.: The buildup has officially begun for No. 26, with Manziel and Bridgewater available.
10:29 p.m.: More from Justin Gilbert, when asked what fans can expect from him.
“An every-down cornerback that can guard big receivers and small receivers. I can pretty much do it all, a guy create turnovers and get the ball back to our offense a lot. Just an all-around cornerback.”
10:24 p.m.: No. 20 Pick, New Orleans Saints select Oregon State WR Brandin Cooks
10:20 p.m.: Arizona has traded its pick to the New Orleans Saints. The Cardinals were thought to possibly be interested in a QB, but now they're drafting 27th, one spot behind the Browns.
10:18 p.m.: Pick No. 19, Miami Dolphins select Tennessee OT Ja'Wuan James
10:09 p.m.: Pick No. 18, New York Jets select Louisville safety Calvin Pryor
10:05 p.m.: Browns GM Ray Farmer on the decision to take Justin Gilbert.
“The thought process was simple. We had an opportunity to move back, pick up some future considerations. We knew where we were in the draft and we felt like it was a good opportunity to continue to improve our team with the number of picks we could get so we made a deal to move back to Buffalo (No. 9). Second trade was another opportunity to get the player we thought we wanted. It didn’t cost us much to move back into position when he was on the board. We took that opportunity, and we took the pick with (Oklahoma State CB) Justin Gilbert.”
10 p.m.: No. 17 Pick, Baltimore Ravens select Alabama LB C.J. Mosely
9:58 p.m.: From Terry Pluto on the selection of Justin Gilbert.
I don't have any big questions about Gilbert's talent. I do wish they had taken Mack or Watkins. And yes, I would have followed the Browns lead and passed on Johnny Manziel at No. 4 or No. 8.
The trade really does help their 2015 draft, giving them two first rounders against next season. This is not a dumb trade or a terrible trade.
I just wonder if it was necessary.
9:53 p.m.: No. 16 Pick, Dallas Cowboys select Notre Dame guard Zack Martin
9:50 p.m.: No truth (yet) to the reports that ESPN will create a brand new network -- the Cowboys/Manziel Channel -- if Dallas take Johnny Football. But as the Cowboys are on the clock, there was a shot of Manziel in the green room ... calmly drinking a beverage.
9:47 p.m.: No. 15 Pick, Pittsburgh Steelers select Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier
9:43 p.m.: No. 14 Pick, Chicago Bears select Virginia Tech CB Kyle Fuller
9:37 p.m.: Pick No. 13, St. Louis Rams select Pittsburgh DT Aaron Donald
9:36 p.m.: Bud Shaw offers some bouquets to the Browns for their dealing and new cornerback.
"Corner was an underrated need for the Browns and in Gilbert they got a dynamic athlete who returned six kick returns for TD and led his conference with seven interceptions. This wasn’t much of a surprise given the need and the fact Mike Pettine’s defense is built on strong secondaries.
The Browns only gave up a fifth rounder to move up one spot so that’s not an issue.
And you’ll love the draft again in 2015 with the Browns once again holding two No. 1 picks.
I’d have preferred Watkins but the return – Gilbert and Buffalo’s first and fourth-rounders in 2015 is a win for the Browns.
9:32 p.m.: For what it's worth ...
9:30 p.m.: Pick No. 12, New York Giants select LSU WR Odell Beckham
![Justin Gilbert Browns]()
Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert, right, poses for photos after being selected by the Cleveland Browns as the eighth pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, in New York. Craig Ruttle, Associated Press9:28 p.m.: From CBS Sports on Gilbert:
In terms of pure athleticism, Gilbert is the class of the 2014 draft. He possesses remarkably light feet, allowing him to quickly drop in his backpedal while keeping his eyes trained on his receiver (and also sneaking a peek on the quarterback). The depth gained allows him to be patient when flipping his hips to turn and run downfield or plant and explode in either direction as receivers attempt to cross in front of him.
Gilbert changes directions fluidly and has impressive acceleration to handle deep coverage responsibilities against speedy receivers. Gilbert possesses prototypical height and overall frame for the position with broad shoulders and long arms. He extends well to snatch the ball out of the air and times his leap well. Gilbert is a willing tackler, who closes quickly and effectively.
Whether on kick returns or after interceptions, Gilbert's patience, vision and acceleration make him a threat to go the distance.
9:25 p.m.: Justin Gilbert on playing with Joe Haden: "I'm going to get targeted a lot, so I'm going to have to take advantage of those opportunities."
"I know I'm going to get challenged everyday ... I'm just waiting to get it on."
9:22 p.m.: No. 11 Pick, Tennessee Titans select Michigan OT Taylor Lewan
9:21 p.m.: Adam Schefter reporting that the Browns talked with Tennessee for the 11th pick, but backed off from the Titans' demands.
9:19 p.m.: With the other nine teams in the top third of the round passing on Johnny Football, the realization is hitting some people right in the face.
9:13 p.m.: No. 10 Pick, Detroit Lions select North Carolina TE Eric Ebron
Can we now state what is always obvious -- mock drafts are to the actual NFL draft as the $1 billion perfect bracket is to the NCAA Tournament. So many entries, so few correct guesses.
9:13 p.m.: No. 9 Pick, Minnesota Vikings take UCLA LB Anthony Barr
9:08 p.m.: From NFL.com on Justin Gilbert.
Outstanding size-speed ratio and athletic ability. Fluid movement skills -- makes it look easy flipping his hips and reacting to the thrown ball. Very good transitional quickness and recovery speed. Superb feet and agility to pop out of his breaks and close on the ball -- explosively quick. Natural interceptor with very good hand-eye coordination, leaping ability and overall ball skills. Very good vision and traffic burst as a returner (six career kickoff-return TDs).
9:04 p.m.: No. 8 Pick, Cleveland Browns take Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert
Mel Kiper doesn't like the pick, but then makes a point of saying how good Gilbert is -- shy of great tackling skills.
9 p.m.: Browns have traded up one spot to take the eighth selection! They gave up a fifth-round pick to the Vikings.
8:59 p.m.: No. 7 Pick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Texas A&M WR Mike Evans
8:57 p.m.: Doing live radio for something like a football draft is a challenging task, to be sure. But it's rather stunning that the "official" broadcast with Ken Carman, Jeff Phelps and Dustin Fox are totally focused on the QB/WR options -- and not cornerbacks.
8:53 p.m.: Both Tampa Bay and Minnesota have indicated that they're interested in upgrading at QB, so Mike Evans and all the cornerbacks could be available for the Browns at No. 9 -- and given their preferences, that has to be a winning situation.
8:51 p.m.: Pick No. 6, Atlanta Falcons select Texas A&M OT Jake Matthews
8:47 p.m.: Watching Browns drafts can be frustrating for famous fans, and just not the rank and file.
8:42 p.m.: Pick No. 5, Oakland Raiders take Buffalo LB Khalil Mack
8:41 p.m.: While the radio guys fixate on what WR the Browns might choose (Mike Evans?) with the No. 9 pick, what the move has set the Browns up for is one of the two top cornerbacks -- Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard or Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert.
8:36 p.m.: Pick No. 4, Buffalo Bills take Clemson WR Sammy Watkins
8:35 p.m.: Browns trade No. 4 pick to Buffalo Bills.
Browns getting Buffalo's first-round and fourth-round pick next year. And the No. 9 pick tonight, of course.
8:32 p.m.: Well, the Browns have an abundance of options now. Mack, Watkins, trade partners? Here we go.
8:31 p.m.: Pick No. 3, Jacksonville Jaguars take Central Florida QB Blake Bortles
8:27 p.m.: Remember, if the Jaguars take Sammy Watkins, the rumored deal with the Browns and Falcons involves Khalil Mack being available.
But it looks like we have our first shocker of the night...
8:25 p.m.: Pick No. 2, St. Louis Rams take Auburn OT Greg Robinson
8:18 p.m.: Roger Goodell provides his first bro hug of the night to Clowney. The Texans wanted a draft pick bonanza equal to the Rams' fleecing of the Redskins (humble opinion) for RGIII. But there's no QB worth taking No. 1, and that drove the high price, not simply having No. 1.
8:15 p.m.: Pick No. 1, Houston Texans take South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney
8:11 p.m.: Jason La Confora isn't obeying any NFL blackout of tipping picks.
8 p.m.: And we're underway! Texans on the clock, and apparently without a trade partner they've been seeking.
7:54 p.m.: Draft parties are filling up!
7:47 p.m.: From NFL.com's Marc Sessler has news that involves the Browns and Teddy Bridgewater.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport is hearing that the former Louisville quarterback's "sweet spot" begins at No. 8 and ends at No. 26 with the Browns, as expected.
Teams league-wide know of Cleveland's interest in Bridgewater, and Rapoport was told that at least one team is discussing trading back up into the first round to grab the signal-caller before the Browns get their hands on him.
With reports that Cleveland general manager Ray Farmer is "enamored" with Bridgewater, Cleveland could shut all suitors down by pulling the trigger at No. 4, a pick currently wrapped in more mystery than the Kennedy assassination.
7:44 p.m.: NFL.com's Charley Casserly made a lot of noise earlier this week with his assertion that he didn't believe any team would take Johnny Manziel in the first round. But today, he blinked in his final mock draft, predicting that Jacksonville would trade back into the bottom of the round to take him.
7:40 p.m.: We're not particularly proud to pass this piece of information along, but here goes ... a list of every "walk-up song" that tonight's draftees have selected.
Johnny Manziel has chosen Drake's "Draft Day", which actually has Johnny Football in one of the lyrics. Example of honoring the artist who mentioned you, or example of an ego run amok? It's your call.
7:33 p.m.: With most teams now sequestered in their draft rooms, the silly rumors keep percolating, especially with the idea that some teams might be interested in dealing their current backup QBs after drafting a perceived upgrade over the next three days.
And, of course, Jason LaConfora remains convinced the Browns have an interest in the Redskins QB who beat them in 2012.
7:17 p.m.: Every once in a while someone tries to provide a little perspective to the evening's proceedings. But why do football fans want to be rational this weekend?
7:13 p.m.: One of the better mock drafts comes from NFL.com, when they gather their experts and assign teams to each. Charles Davis has the Browns, and his two picks would seem to be well received by fans if they pan out tonight.
A hint ... it leans quite a bit to the offensive side of the ball.
7:07 p.m.: There's plenty of Twittering about Sammy Watkins wearing an orange tie. NE Ohio jumps to a conclusion, but there's another possibility.
7:02 p.m.: Wondering why there were so many conflicting stories revolving around the Browns' intentions? Well, that uncertainty has one observer believing the Brownies will unpredictable tonight, too.
Then again, at least one QB is thinking big when it comes to Northeast Ohio.
7 p.m.: The best choice for the Browns at No. 4?
It's Sammy Watkins, says Bud Shaw.
It's wide receiver Mike Evans, says Chris Fedor.
Watkins, Derek Carr at 26 and Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby with the No. 3 pick in the second round on Friday is Mary Kay Cabot's No. 1 scenario.
Browns should take UCF QB Blake Bortles, says Glenn Moore.
Buffalo's dynamic OLB Khalil Mack should be the choice, says Tom Reed.
For what it's worth (punch lines welcome), we're pretty "enamored" with Watkins.
Meanwhile, somebody made really good use of the day before the lights came on this evening ...
