Cleveland Browns: Cody Kessler the next Andy Dalton?

What do the Cleveland Browns see in quarterback Cody Kessler? Perhaps Hue Jackson feels like he has another Andy Dalton, and it might be valid…

One of the more head scratching picks in the 2016 NFL Draft was the Cleveland Browns’ third round selection of USC quarterback Cody Kessler. It wasn’t that the Browns didn’t have a need for a quarterback or that Kessler was ‘bad’ in college — that’s not the case at all.

The Browns apparently feel good enough about Josh McCown and Robert Griffin III this season to have traded out of the second overall pick of the draft where they could have taken a quarterback, but they also felt good enough about Kessler to take him in the third round when everyone thought he would still be on the board well into day three.

Kessler’s USC career was statistically very impressive. Over the course of his career, he completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 10,339 yards, 88 touchdowns, and just 19 interceptions. We all know that having great stats in college means very little when it comes to projecting to the NFL, although it doesn’t hurt. There are certainly things to like about Kessler’s game besides the fact that he completed a large percentage of his passes at USC, and there might not be as much to dislike as people think.

When it comes to Hue Jackson, it seems like at least recently, his offense and philosophy is a breeding ground for success. That doesn’t mean that the Browns are going to be an instant contender or that Kessler is destined to be the next big thing in the NFL, but look at this report said about Andy Dalton coming out of college:

“Dalton is four-year starter and proven winner, but he will have a difficult transition to the NFL. He is undersized and will not be able to take off and run at the next level. He is generally an accurate passer, however he will make some poor throws when his mechanics break down. Also, he plays in a very user friendly scheme where he throws to a lot of wide open receivers and it is unclear if he can fit the ball into tight windows. Dalton will need some time to learn a more complicated offense and he looks to be a mid-round pick.”

Like Dalton, Kessler started a lot of games in college, but for an even more prestigious program at USC (sorry, TCU fans…). Kessler didn’t ever strike me as a future franchise QB in the NFL, but like Dalton, he could thrive in the right system. I think Mel Kiper Jr. made a great point in his divisional NFL Draft review when he stated that basically, Hue Jackson saw another version of Dalton in Kessler, and asked the rest of the Browns’ staff to take a leap of faith and let him work with this kid.

When he has a clean pocket, not many more QBs threw with the kind of accuracy of Kessler. On the run, he struggled a bit. He’s a decent enough athlete who is 6-1, but that’s not as big of an issue in today’s NFL anymore.

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There are other questions surrounding the selection of Kessler in Cleveland, like the fact that he’s not really ready for the cold weather games the Browns play pretty much all season long. His arm strength isn’t elite. He doesn’t always make accurate throws on the run.

However, when you take a look at his entire body of work, he was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country over the last three years at USC, and there’s something to be said for that. The Browns didn’t take him in the first round. He wasn’t even a top 64 selection. In the third round, the more I think about it, the more okay I am with this pick for Cleveland and willing to see what Hue Jackson has in mind here.

At worst, Kessler should be an effective backup because of his ability to execute an offense and the smart decisions he makes with the football.

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