Ray Farmer, Cleveland Browns the Winners in Round 1 of 2014 NFL Draft

Cleveland Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine (left) and GM Ray Farmer (right) answer questions from the media following the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Farmer has done a commendable job this offseason bolstering the Browns' roster, giving Pettine plenty of talent to work with in his first year as a NFL head coach. (AP Photo)

It’s hard not to admire what Cleveland Browns rookie general manager Ray Farmer accomplished in the opening round of his first-ever NFL Draft. Farmer, spearheading the Browns’ new regime, came away with the top-rated cornerback in the 2014 NFL Draft in Justin Gilbert, the best advertised quarterback in the rookie pool in Johnny Manziel and acquired a 2015 first-round pick from the Buffalo Bills, all within the first day of the 79^th Annual NFL Selection Meeting.

            Farmer wasted no time in making a splash in his first go-around in selecting rookie talent. Cleveland was far and away the most active team in round one of the draft as Farmer maneuvered up and down the selection board quicker than Kevin Costner did in the recent Browns-centered film “Draft Day.” Farmer refused to be complacent in his operations, the way that his unsuccessful predecessors, Mike Holmgren and Mike Lombardi, were in their failed attempts to rebuild the franchise. Farmer and the Browns front office capitalized on the overambitious Bills’ management, who traded away their first and fourth-round picks in next year’s draft to swap spots in the current draft with Cleveland, who were originally slated to have the fourth pick in the 2014 Draft. The Bills selected highly touted wideout Sammy Watkins after moving up in the draft. The Browns, meanwhile, slid to the ninth overall selection, which they ultimately traded up a spot with the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a fifth-round choice in 2015, for the rights to draft Justin Gilbert, the corner out of Oklahoma State that dazzled scouts with his raw speed and athleticism.

            The addition of Gilbert bolsters the Browns’ formidable secondary, a critical aspect of new head coach Mike Pettine’s defensive system. Gilbert will play across from Pro-Bowl cornerback Joe Haden, who is coming off his best season as a pro. Farmer believes Gilbert will be a perfect in Cleveland.

            “Justin Gilbert the player -- He’s long, via ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon. “He’s fast. He’s explosive. He’s a playmaker. He plays like a Brown. Number one thing we talk about when we talk about corners is they’ve got to cover like Browns. He’s got great arm length. He’s got the speed. He’s got the ball skills.”

            Adding Gilbert to a secondary that had already acquired hard-hitting two-time Pro-Bowler Donte Whitner via free agency was an exciting step for the upstart Browns. However, the decision by the Browns’ brass to trade up four spots with the Philadelphia Eagles to select Johnny “Football” Manziel is what made Cleveland the talk of the draft.

            Easily the most polarizing player waiting to be chosen, Manziel brings instant media hype and attention to a franchise that has not a winning season since 2007. The first-ever QB to win the Heisman Trophy as a freshman, Manziel gives the Browns an identity at a position they have struggled with immensely in the past decade-plus. The former Texas A&M quarterback that lit up the college football world with his play-making abilities and off-the-field dramatics will look to return Cleveland to their football glory days.

Before Manziel can dream about leading the Browns to their first championship since 1964, he will first have to upsurge purported starter Brian Hoyer. Pettine has already acknowledged that it will be “very difficult” to beat out incumbent first-string quarterback Hoyer, who went 3-0 as a starter with the Browns in 2013 before an ACL tear cut his season short. With all that said, you don’t bring Johnny Football to town without the intention of him being your guy under center at some point in the very near future.

As with all quarterbacks chosen in the draft, there is no telling whether Manziel will be a whopping success or a major bust. However, Manziel’s history of winning should be an encouraging sign for a club that has not exceeded five wins in any of its past six seasons. Manziel provides the Browns the type of sizzle that franchises need to jumpstart its rebuilding process.

Landing Manziel, coupled with the pickup of Gilbert and an additional first-round pick in next-year’s draft, is a superb initial day at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall for Farmer and the Browns. Now, the attention shifts to the second round and beyond, where Farmer will be counted on to improve the Browns’ offensive line and wide receiver corps. As any successful GM will tell you, championships are not just built in the first round of the draft, but also with wise selections in the rounds that follow. For Farmer, though, it’s so far so good as the mastermind calling the shots.