New Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson was in Mobile, Ala., for this week's Senior Bowl practices and took time to meet with a number of 2016 NFL Draft prospects taking part in the event.
That's standard operating procedure for an NFL team at the Senior Bowl (the game will be broadcast live exclusively on NFL Network on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET).
What's noteworthy is that one of those prospects was quarterback Carson Wentz, Cleveland.com reports.
It seems that from meeting with the North Dakota State quarterback, as well as carefully watching the practices, Jackson's early impressions of Wentz were positive.
"It's always hard when you're sitting in the stands watching these young guys, but he has a lot of the characteristics that you look for," Jackson told Cleveland.com. "Again, it's just so early in this process, and until you can really study them and get to know them will you really be able to make a sound judgment."
Wentz told Cleveland.com that he thought the meeting with Jackson, "went well."
"He seemed like a really good guy and obviously I'm assuming he's going to be a really good coach up there in Cleveland, so it went well," Wentz told Cleveland.com.
So, Wentz, how would you like to be the Browns' 25th different starting quarterback since the franchise came off of hiatus for the 1999 season?
Many will make this connection because, A) Wentz was a standout performer at this week's Senior Bowl, and B) Despite selecting Johnny Manziel in the first round of the draft two years ago, the Browns still have a glaring need at the position.
The Browns own the No. 2 overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. The team holding the top pick -- the Tennessee Titans -- selected the player they hope will be their quarterback of the future, Marcus Mariota, with the No. 2 selection in last year's draft. This, it would seem at the moment, would set up the Browns to have their pick of the top quarterbacks in the 2016 draft class. Or, the alternative, which would be the Browns using that No. 2 overall selection as trade bait to collect a bevy of draft picks from another team eager to take its hopeful franchise quarterback (it's noteworthy that the Browns also hold the No. 32 overall selection in this year's draft).
Jackson has already addressed the team's need at quarterback, saying, "If there is a QB at No. 2 that is a best fit for our team, we need to go get him. It's my opinion we need a QB."
NFL Media analysts Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah and Lance Zierlein each project a quarterback being selected by the Browns with the No. 2 pick in their initial mock drafts. However, that quarterback at the moment is Jared Goff of California, not Wentz. While Wentz has had his opportunity to impress NFL teams and scouts, Goff has to wait for his first chance at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine, which takes place in late February in Indianapolis.
Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter @jimreineking.
