In looking at the Browns draft scenarios, it's important to understand the history of the man doing the drafting. I wanted to look and see if there are patterns in Tom Heckert's drafts that can give an idea about what we can expect in this draft. Heckert was named GM of the Eagles in 2006, so that's where we'll start.
2006 -
| 1.14 | DL | Brodrick Bunkley | Florida State | |
| 2.07 | OL | Winston Justice | Southern California | from TEN; trade 2006 2.13, 4.19 |
| 3.07 | LB | Chris Gocong | Cal Poly | from NYJ; trade 2006 3.12, 7.12 |
| 4.02 | OL | Max Jean-Gilles | Georgia | from NO; trade 2006 4.11 and DT Hollis Thomas |
| 4.12 | WR | Jason Avant | Michigan | from GB; trade 2006 4.18, 6.16 (through STL; trade 2006 3.29, also received 6.14) |
| 5.14 | WR | Jeremy Bloom | Colorado | |
| 5.35 | LB | Omar Gaither | Tennessee | compensatory pick |
| 6.35 | DL | LaJuan Ramsey | Southern California | compensatory pick |
Bunkley was a starter for Phily and was shipped briefly to the Browns, failed a physical, was traded to Denver, and played in every game for the Broncos last season, starting 13. Justice never developed into a reliable starter, but started 31 games in 6 seasons. Gocong is now starting for the Browns at LB. Jean-Gilles started 26 games in 5 seasons with Phily. Avant is Phily's #3 receiver, and Gaither started 40 games at LB in 5 years in Phily and a year in Carolina. Bloom never played in the NFL and Ramsey made the team and played in the league for 4 seasons.
This was a pretty solid draft by all accounts. The important thing to note in this draft is the trades. The Eagles traded a 4th rounder and their 13th pick in the second round to move up to the 7th pick in the second for Justice. In the third round they traded a 7th rounder to move up 5 spots to get Gocong. They traded Hollis Thomas and their 4th rounder to move up to get Jean-Gilles. They traded up again in the fourth to get Avant.
2007 -
| 2.04 | QB | Kevin Kolb | Houston | from CLE through DAL |
| 2.25 | DL | Victor Abiamiri | Notre Dame | |
| 3.23 | LB | Stewart Bradley | Nebraska | from DAL |
| 3.26 | RB | Tony Hunt | Penn State | |
| 5.22 | DB | C.J. Gaddis | Clemson | from DAL |
| 5.25 | TE | Brent Celek | Cincinnati | |
| 6.27 | DB | Rashad Barksdale | Albany, N.Y. | |
| 7.26 | RB | Nate Ilaoa | Hawaii |
In the first round, the Eagles traded down from pick 26 with Dallas (who selected Anthony Spencer), acquiring the 4th pick in the second round (originally Cleveland's pick shipped to Dallas in the Quinn trade). They also picked up an extra 3rd and 5th in the trade. They took Kevin Kolb with their first pick. He was their backup for his first 3 seasons, started a few games in 2010, and was shipped to Arizona in 2011 for a second rounder and Dominique Rogers-Cromartie. He was on track to be their starter but got hurt and opened the door for Mike Vick and the rest is history. Abiamiri never turned into a starter in Phily. Bradley started at LB for the Eagles in his second and third seasons, before heading to Arizona in free agency. Tony Hunt washed out after 2 unremarkable seasons. Gaddis, Barksdale and Ilaoa failed to make the final roster, but Celek is one of the better TEs in the league and was a great value pick in the late 5th round.
2008 -
| 2.16 | DL | Trevor Laws | Notre Dame | from MIN |
| 2.18 | WR | DeSean Jackson | California | |
| 3.17 | LB | Bryan Smith | McNeese State | |
| 4.10 | OL | Mike McGlynn | Pittsburgh | from CAR |
| 4.18 | DB | Quintin Demps | Texas-El Paso | from MIN |
| 4.32 | DB | Jack Ikegwuonu | Wisconsin | compensatory pick |
| 6.18 | OL | Mike Gibson | California | |
| 6.34 | LB | Joe Mays | North Dakota State | compensatory pick |
| 6.37 | LB | Andy Studebaker | Wheaton | compensatory pick |
| 7.23 | OL | King Dunlap | Auburn | from SEA |
The Eagles traded out of the first round again in this draft, trading the 19th pick to Carolina for a second, fourth, and a first in 2009. They also moved down again in the second, trading down 4 picks and sending a 5th rounder to Minnesota, picking up a fourth. They took Trevor Laws with their first #2, and he has been a rotational defensive lineman. They took DeSean Jackson with their other second rounder, and he has been an electric playmaker and difference maker in their offense. Bryan Smith was out of the league in 2 years. McGlynn has been a backup linemen/spot starter in the NFL. Quintin Demps is a backup safety. Joe Mays has developed into a starter, in Denver now. Studebaker never made the Eagles but has been on the Chiefs for 4 seasons, starting a few games. Ikegwuonu and Gibson had no impact. King Dunlap has developed into a spot starter.
2009 -
| 1.19 | WR | Jeremy Maclin | Missouri | from TB through CLE |
| 2.21 | RB | LeSean McCoy | Pittsburgh | |
| 5.17 | TE | Cornelius Ingram | Florida | from NYJ |
| 5.21 | DB | Victor Harris | Virginia Tech | |
| 5.23 | OL | Fenuki Tupou | Oregon | from NE |
| 6.21 | WR | Brandon Gibson | Washington State | |
| 7.04 | OL | Paul Fanaika | Arizona State | from SEA |
| 7.21 | LB | Moise Fokou | Maryland |
Struck gold in the first two rounds with Maclin and McCoy. They gave up a 6th rounder to move up 2 spots and take Maclin. They also traded the extra first they acquired from Carolina, along with a 4th and a 6th to Buffalo for Pro-Bowl tackle Jason Peters. They traded down twice in the third round, picking up a 5th from the Giants and then a 2010 3rd rounder, a 5th and a 7th with Seattle. Ingram failed to make the team. Macho Harris started a few games his rookie year but was cut the following season. Tupou is currently on the Saints. Brandon Gibson has developed into a starting WR for the Rams. Fanaika is with the Seahawks after not making the Eagles. Fokou has started 22 games in 3 seasons.
Maclin and McCoy, along with the acquisition of Peters, make this a great great draft.
2010 - With the Browns -
| 1.07 | DB | Joe Haden | Florida | |
| 2.06 | DB | T.J. Ward | Oregon | |
| 2.27 | RB | Montario Hardesty | Tennessee | from DAL through PHI |
| 3.21 | QB | Colt McCoy | Texas | from NE through OAK |
| 3.28 | OG | Shawn Lauvao | Arizona State | from NYJ |
| 5.29 | DB | Larry Asante | Nebraska | from NYJ |
| 6.08 | WR | Carlton Mitchell | South Florida | |
| 6.17 | DL | Clifton Geathers | South Carolina | from CAR |
Heckerts first draft with the Browns. Traded Kam Wimbley to the Raiders for a 3rd, and got a 3rd and 5th from the Jets for Braylon Edwards. They also traded a 4th and a 5th to the Eagles along with Alex Hall for Chris Gocong and Sheldon Brown. The 6th from Carolina was acquired for Louis Leonard. Haden looks like a star. Ward has been solid. They traded their 3rd rounder along with two 5th rounders to move up to take Montario Hardesty. McCoy is the starting QB for now. Lauvao has made progress and is a starting guard. Mitchell may be gone, and Asante and Geathers were on other rosters in 2010. Solid draft, big whiff on Hardesty.
2011 -
| 1.21 | DL | Phil Taylor | Baylor | from KC |
| 2.05 | DL | Jabaal Sheard | Pittsburgh | |
| 2.27 | WR | Greg Little | North Carolina | from ATL |
| 4.05 | TE | Jordan Cameron | Southern California | |
| 4.27 | RB | Owen Marecic | Stanford | from ATL |
| 5.06 | DB | Buster Skrine | Tenn.-Chattanooga | |
| 5.19 | OL | Jason Pinkston | Pittsburgh | from NYG through Vikings |
| 7.45 | DB | Eric Hagg | Nebraska | compensatory pick |
They made the big trade with Atlanta, trading out of 6 and moving back to 27 in exchange for a 2nd and 4th in this draft and a 1st and 4th in 2012. Moved back up to 21, giving up a 3rd rounder to take Taylor, who showed flashes as a rookie. Sheard looks to be a great pick in the 2nd, and Little led the team in catches and yards. Jury's still out on Cameron, Skrine, and Hagg. Marecic was the starting FB before ending the year on IR and should improve in year 2. Pinkston proved to be a great value pick in the 5th, starting all 16 games at guard and improving as the year went on. Along with the additional picks this looks early on like a very very good draft.
So what does this tell us for this upcoming draft? For one thing, it shows that more than likely the Browns will be moving around. He's shown that if he likes a guy he'll go get him and he's also willing to move down and acquire picks. From the moves he made in Phily it seems he's more comfortable picking late in the first and early second, although with the new CBA things may have changed. He's only taken 2 quarterbacks (Kolb and McCoy) and none in the first round. He's not afraid to double up on positions in the same draft, so it won't be surprising if they come out with a couple of WRs. Most Browns fans are hoping that he'll take offense with his first 3 picks and I wasn't sure if it was in his nature, but he did in 2009. I'd expect him to take an offensive linemen in the mid-rounds regardless of whether they grab a RT in the 1st or 2nd. You can also expect him to take at least a defensive lineman or 2, he's done that in every draft except 2009.
Heckert's eye for talent is apparent in his drafting. With 13 picks this year he has the ammunition he needs to secure some top-level talent in the first few rounds and history says he will be able to find a starter or two late. The big question heading into this years draft is whether or not this is the year we take the elite level talent or trade down again and acquire more picks, in this draft or next. I've stated what I hope they do, but my job isn't riding on it. And with the importance of this draft for the future of the Browns, rest assured Heckert's is.
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