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“I Begged Every Single Day”: Former Browns Coach Recalls Urging Jimmy Haslam to Draft Saquon Barkley and Josh Allen in 2018

The 2018 draft had some hot candidates on the table. Two of the top ones from the group were Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. It has been eight years since the draft, and the…

By Soheli Tarafdar · Essentially Sports

Published: Wednesday, 28 October 2026 at 2:16 AM

Key Things to Know

Todd Haley revealed he urged Browns owner Jimmy Haslam to draft Saquon Barkley and Josh Allen in 2018.
The Cleveland Browns instead selected quarterback Baker Mayfield first overall and cornerback Denzel Ward at fourth overall.
Haley stated he wanted Cleveland to pick Barkley at No. 1 and Allen at No. 4.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley revealed he urged owner Jimmy Haslam to draft Saquon Barkley first overall and Josh Allen fourth overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Speaking on the 93.7 The Fan podcast, Haley recalled pleading daily with Haslam before former general manager John Dorsey ultimately selected quarterback Baker Mayfield at No. 1 and cornerback Denzel Ward at No. 4.

Haley noted that while he liked Mayfield, the missed opportunity to draft Barkley and Allen still causes him to wake up in cold sweats. The New York Giants selected Barkley second overall, while the Buffalo Bills drafted Allen at No. 7 after trading up, with both players developing into elite NFL stars.

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