Could one of these quarterbacks be the guy for the Browns?

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

It was a three-ring circus in the NFL Combine media room on Friday, with three of the top five quarterbacks manning the podiums simultaneously, and all the others, plus receivers, following closely.

Here are the highlights from the interviews among quarterbacks of interest for the Browns.

Cam Ward, Miami

According to NFL draft experts, Ward has widened his lead as the No. 1 quarterback in the draft because of his physical attributes, consistent growth in three college programs, and 57 starts over five college seasons. He will not throw until his pro day at Miami.

Ward did not participate in the college all-star games or Senior Bowl, so the 20-minute formal interview with him was the first exposure of the Browns to Ward.   

“It went real good being able to meet with the GM, finally meet the quarterback coach in person, the OC as well,” Ward said. “They do an unbelievable job on offense getting people open. They’ve got an unbelievable offensive line. Jerry Jeudy’s one of the best receivers in the league, so if I'm hoping to go there, I know it'll work out good.”

Ward said he isn’t a “Rah rah,” leader. He is more cerebral and low-key.

Ward said, “Just holding people accountable. I'm not no rah-rah guy. At this point in your career in the NFL, you shouldn’t need somebody to motivate you every day. You’ve got to be self-motivated. That's the type of person I am. That's the type of leader I am. So I just think what I can bring to a franchise, no other player can bring that.”

The thing Ward hopes NFL teams learn about him?

“That I’m willing to do anything that it takes to win a football game, whether it's be a gunslinger all day or have to hand the ball out a couple times. So at the end of the day, I know what type of player I am. The team should know what type of player they're getting in me and so I'm just going out there and try to do my best for myself and my future teammates.”

Asked why he believes he’s the No. 1 quarterback in the draft, Ward said: “The tape says everything. I believe and I'm honest to that. But I think just what separates me from everybody is the way I approach it, the mindset that I have going onto the field each and every game, and I mean coming from my journey.

“Not a lot of people can do that and so I just think it shows the work that I'm  willing to put in whether I go first round or second round. At the end of the day, that draft pick don't mean nothing. It's all about establishing yourself once you get the opportunity.”

Ward added, “I think my best trait is winning from the pocket, and I got better at that over my years of college. At the end of the day as a quarterback, you can't rely on scramble drill and having to win out of structure because if you can't win in the pocket you’ll never be successful.”

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado 

Sanders drew the biggest media scrum and he didn’t disappoint.

His positive energy, engaging personality and star-quality charisma was undeniable. Following the footsteps of his father and coach, Deion Sanders, Shedeur is a natural media magnet.

For better or for worse, Sanders enters the NFL draft as a certifiable “celebrity quarterback." He records rap songs as a hobby and is a frequent content contributor on several social media platforms. 

Sanders’ overall message in his time at the podium was that he was a culture-changer at Jackson State and Colorado and will continue to do that in the NFL.

“That's the plan,” he said. “If that's not what you're trying to do, don't get me. If you ain't trying to change the franchise or the culture, don't get me. So you should know, history repeats itself over and over and over and I've done it over and over and over. So it should be no question why an NFL franchise should be.”

Asked the trait he is most proud to possess, Sanders said, “I'm most proud about my mental. Yeah, because I know nothing can faze me, no pressure, no situation. These cameras, nothing fazed me. I grew up with it.”

Sanders was asked about his interest in recording rap videos and being a social media presence.

“I'm happy you asked that question,” he said. “You got to understand, when you get the work done, and that's where you drop the YouTube video 'Day in the Life.' We work out, we eat, we watch film. After that, you got all these hours to yourself.

"So why would somebody criticize you for being at home and being able to express yourself the way you want to express yourself, rather than you could be out being wild doing all this type of stuff, driving as fast as you can on the road doing anything wild?

“So it's like if anything, I feel like some GMs, they appreciate that, that you're in a controlled environment able to just express yourself. So I make it truly for fun. I don't make it to release. I got an app that I send all my friends. They probably got 20 songs on there. But it's just to decompress. That's all it is.”

Sanders was known for poise, toughness and accuracy in his game. He was asked if there was a trait he could have displayed more at Colorado. 

"That's a good question," he said. "I like that one. I wish, we got in our groove, I'll say, sometimes late in games. So that's how I realized, OK, going to the next level, I've got to find myself early. I got to get ready mentally early because I know early on, some games I wasn't taking the completions coach was calling.

"Sometimes I was trying to make too much happen. So that just comes from a mindset of do-or-die mentality, to where you're going to succeed and not succeed. And sometimes I got caught up playing hero ball, but I understand where I messed up and now I'm going to fix it at the next level."

Jaxson Dart, Mississippi

After a steadily impressive Senior Bowl week, Dart surpassed Jalen Milroe as the No. 3 quarterback in the draft.

He was a four-star recruit from Utah who was technically 0-3 in three starts at USC, though he did produce a win in relief in his first game appearance. After a coaching change, Dart transferred to Ole Miss and improved all three seasons under coach Lane Kiffin.

He called himself a "culture-changer."

“I feel like I can do whatever it takes for the team to win,” Dart said. “I feel like I'm somebody who's a culture and organization changer by the way that I go out there. I've had success at every level I've been. I've been able to win at a rate that hadn't been done before at the school that I was just at.

“I think there's a lot of great quarterbacks out here. We all have different skill sets and things that separate us. But for me, I feel like the intangibles of what I bring to the organization are kind of what set me apart.”

Asked to compare himself to a current NFL quarterback, Dart said, “Oh, I feel like it's a little bit of a cop-out because he just won the Super Bowl, but I love Jalen Hurts and what he does. I feel like I'm very similar in my play style to him. I feel like we can do a lot of the same things. Obviously, he's an elite player, and I'm trying to reach that level.”

Dart pointed out that he's the youngest quarterback in the draft class. He turns 22 in May, yet has 41 career college starts at USC and Ole Miss. 

"I don't think a lot of people talk about that, but I'm the youngest quarterback in this draft class," he said. "And at the same time, I've had a ton of experience. So I think that my time throughout my whole college career has really put me in a good situation now of being able to overcome adversity and staying persistent."

Jalen MIlroe, Alabama

Milroe is considered a boom-or-bust prospect because his athletic abilities intoxicate NFL teams, but his game video his last season showed concerning issues with accuracy and football IQ.

Milroe had his best season at Alabama with Tommy Rees as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator in the 2023 season. After Saban retired and Rees joined the Browns as tight ends coach, Milroe’s game plunged. He made more plays with his legs than with his arm.

Milroe said, “Me and Coach Rees had a great relationship while he was at Alabama. My first year starting, he was my first offense coordinator and so it would be outstanding to be able to play under him again and do a lot of special things.”

He said Rees made him a better quarterback.

“Yeah, for sure,” Milroe said. “Number one, just being comfortable on the field. That's number one. To build my knowledge of the game, I lacked knowledge being a first-year starter. So everything that he poured into me each and every day, us meeting one-on-one, being able to see football on the same lense as him, you'd be able to play even better, and so that was what I was able to do being around him.”

“I play in the hardest conference in the country,” Milroe said. “I played against the number one team in the country, the number one defense in the country. So if I lack knowledge I wouldn't be able to win big games.

“And 2023, my first year starting I didn't lose a SEC game and was playing a lot of different defenses, a lot of things that was unraveled when it came to the game planning and a lot of things I pour into that people don't see. It's a grind.

“It is a social norm to think after the game on Saturday that it is physically taxing, but it's also mentally taxing because of everything that's involved with game planning, walkthroughs, the film, waking up early in the morning and so it's a lot of things that's involved to being a successful quarterback and it's misinterpreted.

“So the people that surround me, they understand how much I love football and how much I'm looking to grow as a player. So it's all about who definitely sees something in me.”

Milroe earned an undergraduate degree in three years at Alabama and left with a master's in sports management. He earned the Campbell Trophy last season, commonly known as the "Academic Heisman."