The Cleveland Browns went through a lot at the quarterback position in 2021. Baker Mayfield went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes in Week 1, got hurt in Week 2 and things went downhill from there. Case Keenum stepped in for two games while Nick Mullens started a game when both Mayfield and Keenum were out with COVID-19.
Kyle Lauletta also had an interesting season with the Browns. He looked good in training camp but was cut during the final moves to get to the initial 53-man roster. Instead of grabbing the practice squad QB job, Cleveland brought in Mullens instead.
Lauletta caught on with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a part of their practice squad until the Browns needs at the position brought him back as a part of their 53-man roster in mid-December. Cleveland waived him again on January 4th.
Tuesday night, the new USFL held their draft and Lauletta was selected seventh overall going to Pittsburgh:
With the 7th pick in the @USFL draft the Pittsburgh Maulers select Kyle Lauletta
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) February 23, 2022
Despite quarterbacks being each team’s first pick, Lauletta is the name likely known by most fans. After being drafted in the fourth round by the New York Giants, the small school product only played in two games so far in his NFL career.
Those two games are two more than any other quarterback selected in the first round of the USFL draft. Lauletta is also the highest NFL draft pick among those eight.
After a good showing in the preseason with Cleveland last year, Lauletta should get a chance to shine in the USFL which kicks off in mid-April and has a championship game in early July.