2012 NFL Draft: Browns Select Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden, but Is He Ready?

One of the players who saw their star rise quickly over this draft season was former Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden. While the world had their eyes on Ryan Tannehill's meteoric rise, Weeden was slowly clawing his way up into the first round of the draft.

Once thought to be a project quarterback who might be able to help out in the backup capacity, Weeden emerged as a first-round pick by the Cleveland Browns last night.

There really is no reference point to predict Weeden's success at the next level. Zac Robinson, the other recent NFL quarterback out of Oklahoma State, just is not an accurate comparison.

Robinson, a reserve quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, doesn't possess the throwing arm or résumé that Weeden brings to the table. Robinson only topped 3,000 yards passing once in his starting career. Weeden, in just two seasons starting, topped 4,000 yards each year.

Without a reference point, it is safe to say that Brandon Weeden will be a bit of an experiment on a number of fronts. For his own success, the acclimation process will be a mystery.

For the Browns, they are handing their future over to a quarterback who they hope works out. For Dana Holgorsen and Mike Gundy, Weeden is the high-profile test subject to which each can pin his proof of success.

There are a lot of eggs in Brandon Weeden's basket, and yet the question still remains, is he ready?

Pat Shurmur is the head coach, and two familiar coaching faces will be molding Weeden for the 2012 season: Brad Childress and Mark Whipple. We know Childress from his work with the Vikings, and he's a West Coast guy running the Browns offense. Mark Whipple is the quarterbacks coach, another West Coast guy for the Browns.

We know that Weeden can get the ball out hot. We know that he can hit a big target down the field. In theory his skills, for the most part, mesh well with this style of offense.

He's not the best athlete, but he is capable of getting out of the pocket on rollouts and half rolls that are staples of the West Coast scheme. He has a strong arm and can make the throws. Physically, Weeden is ready to step in and make things work.

Mentally, we'll find out just how ready he is to synthesize the nuances of the West Coast scheme. While a lot of the skills are similar between his college offense and the West Coast offense, the adjustments, nomenclature and the speed of the game are going to be hurdles for Weeden.

At 28 years old, perhaps he does have a mental advantage coming into the NFL as a mature adult who already spent four years playing professional baseball.

Physically, Weeden can get it done; we'll be watching his mental growth as he heads into camps. His decision-making, his progression through the reads and his ability to lead the team will tell the whole story as to whether he's ready.