I really do miss the old format of the draft. My dad had a draft day tradition of cleaning the garage and listening to the radio when Saturday used to be the first 3 rounds, and then that Sunday he'd go about his life and read up on the picks after they were made while I obsessed over why they didn't take the guy I wanted with the 195th pick. It was awesome. This 3 day thing is for the birds but it is what it is.
In the second round, with the 37th pick the Browns went with Mitchell Schwartz, RT from Cal. I sort of had a feeling he was going to be a Brown, although I had him going in the 3rd round. I read somebody say that he was going to go before a lot of people thought he would and was a candidate to sneak into the late 1st. Anyways I like the guy. People wanted a WR or a different RT but all I heard all year was people complain about how lousy the right side of our line was. Guess what, it's fixed. Here's why they went with Schwartz, in my opinion. He started 51 games at Cal, he's got prototypical size. The Browns know EXACTLY what they have in him. They're not banking on potential or player development, they took the guy that they can plug in from day 1. They obviously don't want to have to address the right tackle spot again for the next 6-8 years. They took the sure thing. Maybe Glenn or Martin or Adams have more potential, but they all come with more risk. Hell I liked Massie coming in and he's still on the board. Schwartz is a more polished player. They swung for the gap and not the fences. I love it. Also in play here was the fact that this is not a deep draft for tackles and the talent pool has dried up considerably. WR and CB are deep positions this year and I'd expect them to get addressed in the 4th.
Ah the 3rd round. I think Shaun Lauvao is the only decent third round pick the Browns have made since they came back. They traded back from 67 to 87 and picked up Denver's 4th rounder, pick 120. They moved back after Reuban Randle and Josh Robinson (2 guys I think they liked) were taken in front of them by NY and Minnesota. For whatever reason they decided not to go after a starter with this pick and instead drafted John Hughes from Cincinnati. I love Uncle Buck, Home Alone was hilarious, but I'm not sure John Hughes was a great pick. Hell this John Hughes might have been more highly rated than the one the Browns took. CBS has him as the 534th overall player. Do I think he's that lousy? No. However even he didn't think he was going to get picked until Saturday, because that's when he was planning on having his draft party. A backup nose tackle at 87 with the holes on this team is a hard sell for me. I always tell my dad it's not who they take it's who they don't. I liked TY Hilton, Brandon Boykin, and Jayron Hosely at that spot, I think all 3 of those guys can play, and I don't know about John Hughes, but I'm skeptical on this one. Boykin is still on the board, maybe he's the pick at 100. We'll see.
On the last day of the draft, the Browns should add at least one receiver and linebacker and Heckert's history tells us he should be able to find a contributor or starter late. Guys I'd be targeting include my 2012 mancrush Jarius Wright, possibly Boykin, Juron Criner or Chris Givens at WR, maybe a small-school corner like Josh Norman or Ryan Steed or Jeremy Lane. They probably take a DE somewhere (Cam Johnson maybe??) They also may make a move for a player (Leodis McKelvin perhaps) or move McCoy. It'll be an interesting day.
And to borrow from a John Hughes classic, here's how I feel about people who don't think the Browns are way better than they were on Thursday (PEEBO) - Warning - Foul Language
I really wanted to get through all the positions and look at some more Browns draft possibilities but I ran out of time. Which also means that the draft, the greatest annual sports event in Cleveland, is nearly upon us. That said, I'm going to put together what I would do with the 13 picks the Browns have. This is by no means what I think they're going to do. I'm not sure anyone is crazy enough to think they can predict what the Cleveland Browns are going to do in a draft. These are the guys I would take if I were the Browns brain trust.
4 - Trent Richardson, RB - Alabama I've been on this train for a little while and have really fallen in love with the idea that the Browns can get a player of this caliber. I think he's a stud, he can do it all, and I think he's a player that can make the Browns immediately better than they are today. He should help McCoy with his ability to catch passes and pass protect, not to mention he'll open up the play action passing attack. I'd love to see this guy in brown and orange and think it will be a huge mistake to pass on him.
22 - Kendall Wright, WR - Baylor I've been on this one as well for a while. Wright is not without risk, he's not huge and didn't run a blazing 40. He played in a spread attack with a great quarterback. He's not that strong. I get all that. I know what he's not. I also know what he is. He's an electric playmaker who plays faster than he timed. He's outstanding with the ball in his hands. He has the ability to take a 4 yard pass to the house. He's a tremendous complement to the bigger Greg Little, can play inside or outside the numbers, and would provide a threat to blow the top off a defense. Adding T-Rich and Wright on Thursday night would be cause for celebration, for both fans and Colt McCoy.
37 - Janoris Jenkins, CB - North Alabama From everything you hear, this guy has been dropping down draft boards. He's another guy who comes with his share of risks. However he has undeniable talent, could be the 2nd best corner in the draft, and would be a tremendous value at this point in the draft. He would need to be brought in and surrounded by people who can offer him the proper support. A positive for the Browns would be that he could learn from former Florida teammate Joe Haden, who has been a consummate professional and fixture in the community. Boom or bust but at this pick I'd take my chances. IF he's gone, my backup plan would be Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida.
67 - Mitchell Schwartz, OT - Cal Could come in and start from day 1 at right tackle. Started 51 games at Cal and showed well at the Senior Bowl. Has prototypical size (6'5 318) and long arms. Think a Ryan Tucker type. He has a high floor and NFL bloodlines, his brother Geoff plays for the Panthers The talent drops off considerably at OT after the 3rd round and this position will be addressed on the first two days of the draft in my opinion. IF he's gone, I'd take Donald Stephenson, OT, Oklahoma.
100 - Nigel Bradham, OLB - Florida State Another guy who should be able to play early in his career. Dude is built like the proverbial brick shit house. Can play either Will or Sam and offers good coverage skills. Not a tremendous blitzer but a high character, hard working football player who will make it on special teams and should be able to grow into a starting role.
118 - Trevor Guyton, DT - Cal I've already gushed over this guy as well, love what he brings to the table in terms of tenacity and versatility. Another player with a high floor, you know what you'll get out of this guy. Would provide depth behind Rubin and Taylor and would be an outstanding rotational tackle.
139 - Jarius Wright, WR - Arkansas I'm obsessed with the idea of adding speed and athleticism to our offense, and I also think that Jarius Wright is going to be a very good professional football player. If he were bigger (5'9 182) or if this receiver group wasn't so deep, he'd be off the board by this point. I understand that taking 2 sub six foot wrs is not conventional thinking, but I think the possibility of adding playmakers is of vital importance. Probably only an inside receiver, he also offers the ability to take a short pass 60 yards and would diversify our offense even more. Love this guy.
160 - BJ Coleman, QB - Tennessee Chattanooga I think they'll take a developmental quarterback late and in the 5th they go with Coleman. Very raw, will require some time but by all accounts is coachable and has some tools to work with. Started his college career at Tennessee but transferred out. Could also see them take a Russell Wilson or Darron Thomas, but I'll go with Coleman here.
204 - Lamar Holmes, OT - Southern Miss Huge man who showed well at the Shrine Game. The problem may be he's only a RT, but I'd bring him in and give him a shot. He's got size that can't be taught (6'5 323).
205 - Neiko Thorpe, S - Auburn Started at free safety and corner in his career, played in a big-time conference but wasn't invited to the combine despite having a fairly impressive college career. Has good size and speed and could make the Browns with his versatility if he's willing to put in work on special teams.
211 - Tashuan Gipson, CB - Wyoming Might was well throw darts at a list of names at this point. Gipson has good size, was honorable mention All-MWC at safety. He's the pick here because of his versatility.
245 - Scott Solomon, DE - Rice Hustle, try hard defensive end who was productive at Rice and has the type of intangibles that will make it hard for a coach to cut him.
247 - Adonis Thomas, RB - Toledo Good running back who doesn't stand out at any one thing but could battle for a roster spot.
That's my shot. We'll have a good idea less than 24 hours from now on how the front office wants to build this team. Like I said before, prepare for the worst and hope for the best Browns fans.
This is about the last thing I'm going to write about wide receivers in this draft (I think). The great thing about projecting players from college to the pros is that two people can watch the same games and come out with opposite opinions on the same player. I've said what I think about Floyd and Blackmon and understand I'm in the minority, and that others (some far more qualified than me) have different opinions. It will be fun to see how it all plays out. Wide receiver is the most difficult position besides quarterback to project, and the bust factor is higher with wideouts than at other positions.
That said I can't picture a scenario where the Browns don't spend one of their first three picks on a wideout, and I can see them possibly coming out of this draft with 2. It's regarded as the strongest position in this draft and good players will be found throughout. The Browns current depth chart looks like this.
Greg Little - 61 catches, 709 yards, 2 TDs. Came in as a rookie after having not playing his senior season and looks like he can be a very good player. Has size and speed and should develop in his 2nd year. His size and strength should allow him to grow into a red-zone target. A keeper.
Mohammed Massaquoi - 31 catches, 384 yards, 2 TDs. A frustrating player, he looks the part but has been knocked around and missed games. He can win jump balls but I watch him and it doesn't look like he has great awareness, there were more than a few times he made catches on the sidelines but couldn't get his feet down. A candidate to be replaced.
Josh Cribbs - 41 catches, 518 yards, 4 TDs. He had his best year as a receiver last year. He's a player that defenses respect in that he can make a big play, he should be used more creatively.
Jordan Norwood - 23 catches, 268 yards, 1 TD. He's a little guy who can move the chains and return punts, but he is REALLY small. He's not overly explosive. Missed a couple games at the end of the season.
Carlton Mitchell - 3 catches, 31 yards. Looks the part but hasn't put it together enough to warrant more playing time, which is not a great sign given the players ahead of him.
Cribbs led that group with a 12.6 avg per catch. As a team the Browns averaged 10.3 yards per catch, which puts them dead last in the NFL. Whether it's a function of the system, the quarterback, or the receivers is up for debate. How to fix it shouldn't be. If you have a quarterback who doesn't put the ball downfield, you have to have receivers who can give you yards after the catch. The west coast offense is predicated on this, and if that's the offense and McCoy is the quarterback, Heckert has to get some guys who can break a game open.
This is why I would target Kendall Wright from Baylor with the 22nd pick. I would consider moving ahead of Chicago to get him provided he gets that far. He's 5'11 and 196 lbs, so he's not a big guy, but should be able to add some bulk. His combine time in the 40 was 4.61, which caused some raised eyebrows. Peter King mentioned in his MMQB article:
7. I think the 4.6-ish 40-yard dash times of Baylor wideout Kendall Wright from the Scouting Combine, which threatened his status as a top-five wide receiver in the draft, are starting to be put in some perspective. Scouts were surprised at the time because Wright played faster on film -- and teams are seeing that now upon further review. I've seen his times on the official combine sheet, and they're as low as 4.49 and 4.51 seconds, with an average of 4.54 seconds. Not blazing, but not tight end-like, either. From what I'm told, Wright is a legitimate high 4.4-second guy, and it shouldn't crush him on draft weekend. Wright's time is a classic example of overrating what you hear about red flags at the Combine.
He did run a 4.41 at his pro day and plays to that speed. He averaged 15.4 yards per catch his senior year. He wasn't pressed at the line and like most rookie receivers he'll have to learn how to beat the jam, and his stats may be somewhat padded because of the offense and quarterback he played with, however he has the talent and gamebreaking ability that the Browns sorely lack. He flashed when I watched Baylor play and scored at least 1 touchdown in 10 of Baylor's 13 games. He should be able to play inside or outside in the Browns offense and would give McCoy a weapon who can take a crossing route to the house or run under a deep ball. This should take pressure off of McCoy and hopefully Trent Richardson.
The other guy I would love to see in a Browns uniform is Jarius Wright from Arkansas. He should be able to be had in the 4th round, and if I'm the Browns I'd take him even if I had taken Kendall Wright earlier. Conventional wisdom says you might not want to draft two sub-six foot wideouts in the same draft, but I think these types of players are what the Browns offense lacks. Little has size, Cribbs is 6'1, and Mo Mass is 6'2 so it's not as if we wouldn't have bigger receivers also.
Jarius Wright has reportedly been clocked at 4.27 in the 40 by the Arkansas coaches, he ran a 4.42 at the combine, with a 1.45 sec 10 yard split. This shows he's an explosive player (Mike Wallace had a 1.43) and can get up the field quickly. Also registered a 4.03 twenty yard shuttle and had a 38" vertical. He's only 5'9 and a half, 182 lbs, so he's likely only an inside slot type guy. However he's proven he can stay healthy and produce in the SEC. He had 1166 yards and 12 TDs his senior year, and averaged 16.9 yards per catch after 18.8 in his junior year. He will always be limited by his size however he offers the explosive capability that the Browns need.
It's impossible to predict what the Browns are going to do. I'm a big fan of both Kendall Wright and Jarius Wright and think they offer playmaking ability, something the Browns certainly need. The excuses made for the play of McCoy last season always center around his lack of weapons. This scenario, including taking Richardson at 4, certainly would give McCoy some weapons and give the front office and coaches a chance to evaluate whether he's the guy or not.
Some of the other wide receiver options include:
Stephen Hill - he's big fast and intriguing but may take more time to develop. I'd be fine with him if Wright was gone.
Reuben Randle - big and fast but not overly physical. I'd rather have Hill.
Alshon Jeffery - when I watched him play against Alabama his sophmore year I thought he was going to be a superstar. Gained weight (got fat) and wasn't that guy last season. Can make unbelievable catches but isn't overly quick or sudden and may not be able to separate. Boom or bust guy but I don't think he fits into our offense and would be more than surprised if he ended up a Brown. Could be Dwayne Bowe, could be Mike Williams. It's up to him.
Juron Criner - I'm a fan, thought was going to be really really good when he was a junior but people have cooled on him a bit. I still think he can be a really good player but is really going to have to work at it. Fits the Browns offense. Interesting take by Pat Kirwin on him in this scouting report.
T.Y. Hilton - A lot like Jarius Wright, offers more in the return game but has also been injured more.
Devier Posey - I'm an Ohio State guy but I think he can be a great value pick in the 4th or 5th, is going to require some coaching but has athletic gifts. Registered a 1.45 ten yard split at the combine. I think he could be a better value in the 4th than Randle in the 1st-2nd for what's it worth.
Jeff Fuller - Looks like Tarzan plays like Jane
Ryan Broyles - If not for a torn ACL late in the year he'd be a 2nd rounder, could be a good value in the 3rd or 4th. Great slot guy.
Jordan White - Late round guy, impossible to ignore his production. Broke all of Greg Jennings records at W Michigan. Has had knee problems but I like this guy and think he can play in the league.
Eric Page - another MAC guy who is limited by his size but has produced. More slippery than fast and offers value as a returner, late round guy.
Obviously there are others but these are the guys who intrigue me. Playmakers must be found in this draft at wideout. There are too many good ones not to. The Browns aren't going to a Super Bowl this year but McCoy has to be evaluated. The best way to open up the field for him is to add speed and ability at wideout, players that can make something happens when the ball is in their hands, and to me Kendall Wright and Jarius Wright are two players that can give you that.
