LeBron James Says Deshaun Watson 'Should Have Been' Browns QB

Add Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James to the growing list of people who believe the Cleveland Browns should have selected Deshaun Watson in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

"I think Watson should be a Brown," he told reporters Monday (h/t Darren Rovell of ESPN). "Doesn't mean that Myles Garrett is not going to be a great football player. Watson should have been our quarterback."

You can see James' full comments from Monday below:

The Browns conceivably could have selected both players. Watson was drafted with the No. 12 overall pick, a selection the Browns traded to the Houston Texans on draft night for the No. 25 pick and a 2018 first-rounder.

Watson, 22, was superb for the Texans this season, throwing for 1,699 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, completing 61.8 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 269 yards and two scores. He was lost for the year with a torn ACL, however, halting a surefire Rookie of the Year campaign in its tracks.

He wasn't the only successful quarterback Cleveland had the chance to draft in the past two years. The team traded its No. 2 overall pick and a 2017 fourth-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 in exchange for the Nos. 8, 77 and 100 in the 2016 draft, a 2017 first-rounder and a 2018 second-rounder. The Eagles used the pick to select Carson Wentz, who is among the favorites for the MVP award this year.

Cleveland's quarterback situation, meanwhile, hasn't been pretty. DeShone Kizer, Kevin Hogan and Cody Kessler have combined to throw for 2,019 yards, eight touchdowns and 18 interceptions, completing just 54.5 percent of their passes.

"That has nothing to do with me," Kizer said when asked about James' comments, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

As for Garrett, he's appeared in just four games but made a huge impact in those contests, registering 12 tackles and four sacks. He would appear well on his way to being a dominant defensive end if he's able to remain healthy. 

Garrett, along with the slew of draft picks Cleveland holds, is the consolation prize for the team's fans as they watch players like Watson and Wentz thrive. Nail those picks and Cleveland could be very good for very long. Miss on them, however, and Watson and Wentz will haunt the organization and its fans for the next decade.