Final Good-bye for the Good Guy: former Indians’ OF David Murphy retires
April 28, 20162016 NFL Draft: Brown trade No. 8 pick to Tennesee
April 28, 2016The one constant of the Cleveland Browns Draft Day experience is that the team tends to move around as much (or more) than any of their peers. The movement is particularly noticeable in the first round—sometimes it is moving up a single spot to obtain Trent Richardson, or Justin Gilbert; other times it is moving down to stockpile future picks, which initially involves passing up Mark Sanchez, Julio Jones, and Sammy Watkins for Alex Mack, Phil Taylor, and Justin Gilbert later in the frame. Every now and then, however, the Cleveland Browns will eschew a bounty of picks to trade down in order to stand pat and select a player they feel has a unique skillset like Joe Haden or Barkevious Mingo.
In 2016, the Cleveland Browns have already traded down from pick No. 2 to pick No. 8, and there are rumors the team is shopping the current selection for teams desperate to turn in a player card with Ezekial Elliott’s name on it.
With all of that movement, the Cleveland Browns make it especially difficult for fans to pinpoint players of interest before the draft. While it is difficult enough to figure out the top eight players in the draft, it is exponentially more difficult to figure out every possible draft position and the players that could or should be selected in each spot. So, the plan here is to give an basic idea of what to expect.1
Here are the categories that will be covered for each pick. Realize that the selections made are my own and that there will be a wide range of opinions on these players especially the deeper we get into the draft. For another opinion on where players should go, please consult WFNY Joe Gilbert’s Big Board. The first two days of the NFL draft are covered here (i.e. the first three rounds).
Go up and git ‘em: Players who will likely not be attainable at that position and will require a trade up to acquire them. Also, limiting it to players actually worth investing the resources to move up and only factoring in small moves from that spot.
Stay the course: Players who will likely be attainable at that position and will not require a trade up to acquire them. Also, limiting it to players actually worth taking at that spot.
Drop it like it’s hot: Players worth making small movement downwards in the draft to gain more resources/picks and still end up with a quality player.
Round 1, Pick 8 (No. 8 overall)
Go up and git ‘em:
Don’t be Butch Davis. Joe Gilbert already demonstrated on his Big Board that there are seven Tier-1 players plus Carson Wentz who will likely be drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 2 pick. So, the Browns sit in a prime drafting position. There is no need to panic and give up valuable assets to obtain a different Tier-1 player.2
Stay the course:
One benefit the Browns have is that they can definitely take the best player available (BPA) and state that it is also a team need because there are few positions that can be argued as not being a need by this team.
WFNY has already discussed these guys in the top Non-QB draft prospects post, so here are some quick reference notes.
- Jalen Ramsey, FS/CB, Florida State (Junior): Ray Horton Jr. would love the ability of having a defensive back he could move around everywhere and do everything from coverage to pass rushing to ball-hawking deep. However, Ramsey is the least likely of these players to drop to the Browns.
- Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss (Junior): He has character and injury concerns, which are the main reason he could drop to the Browns. On film, he is the best OT on the board. The Browns could have Tunsil replace Mitchell Schwartz, but it would make more sense from a bigger picture perspective if a Joe Thomas trade was also in the works.3
- Joey Bosa, Edge Rusher, Ohio State (Junior): WFNY’s Josh Poloha wondered if the Browns could just draft a draft full of Buckeyes. Bosa would be a good start to such a strategy. The question for Bosa is if he can use those elite hands and instincts in a transition to a 3-4 OLB.
- Myles Jack, Inside Linebacker, UCLA (Junior): Jack noted publicly that his knee has a degenerative condition, but no one knows how long the knee will hold out before it affects his play beyond his current recovery. Jack might be the most athletic talent in the draft, but is also a huge question mark, which might cause his stock to fall.
- DeForest Buckner, Defensive Tackle/End, Oregon (Senior): The worry is that while Buckner is a fantastic physical specimen, 3-4 defensive ends don’t usually make the impact worthy of a Top 10 pick. He has the length, strength, and agility and constantly kept improving at Oregon. Browns fans who want to see a healthy Courtney Brown might be intrigued at taking Buckner.
Drop it like it’s hot:
If Ezekial Elliott is the Tier-1 player left, then it makes sense to move out from the BPA of a less valuable position to gain more assets and build the team with the more impactful positions first later in the first round.
Who would be the potential targets?
- Laquon Treadwell, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss: He is one of the players who has “dropped” since the collegiate season ended due to his track numbers not matching what the eyeballs saw when watching the games. He is big, physical, has great hands, and was a definitive playmaker for the Rebels.
- Shaq Lawson, Edge Rusher, Clemson: If you like Joey Bosa, then you should like Lawson. Lawson has a bit more speed with a bit less hand-usage, but they are similarly graded talents who both can affect the game from the edge in multiple ways.
Round 2, Pick 1 (No. 32)
Go up and git ‘em:
- Robert Nkemdiche, Defensive Tackle, Ole Miss: A Top-five talent, but with a nickel’s worth of brain. He might drop to within trade up range, but the Browns would be gambling with the off field concerns. As a 3-4 defensive end, he could be lethal. Still, seems more a move for the New England Patriots that have a defined culture.4
- Michael Thomas, Wide Receiver, Ohio State: I would prefer the Browns stand pat with No. 32, but if there is a mini-run on wide receivers, then there’s a decent chance they would have to move up to get their target. And, despite a limited opportunity to showcase his skillset, Thomas appears to have the skills to make a quick transition to the NFL.
Stay the course:
- Keanu Neal, Safety, Florida: Much more raw than Ramsey, but similar athleticism. So, if you trust your coaching staff to teach him all of the ins-and-outs, then he could be a huge steal. If not, then he’s going to frustate and anger many.
- Kevin Dodd, Edge Rusher, Clemson: The other Clemson edge guy out-performed Lawson at times. Lawson has the higher upside, but Dodd looks as if he can be a force and should be a better edge-setter than the crew the Browns currently have on staff.
- Paxton Lynch, quarterback, Memphis: I worry about his screen-happy offense, lack of accuracy, and his yips under pressure. But, he has the physique, arm strength, and did show many flashes of looking like a real NFL QB. If we do take him, then waiting until this pick would certainly help.
Drop it like it’s hot:
Having the first pick on Day 2 is a prime position for trading down as GMs do not like to sit on their hands for 20 hours between rounds.
- Jason Spriggs, Offensive Tackle, Indiana: The Browns do have a gaping hole at right tackle. The second round might be the latest the team can go in order to fill-in a starter there.
- Kenny Clark, Defensive End/Defensive Tackle, UCLA: As long as we are discussing blue-light special players, Clark would be such to Buckner. So, if the Browns don’t get Buckner early, then they can gain a couple assets and get a slightly lesser player on Day 2.
Round 3, Pick 2 (65 overall)
Go up and git ‘em:
- Kyler Fackrell, Linebacker, Utah State: I doubt I’m the only one who watches this guy play and see NFL starter. So, there’s a good chance he’ll be a Round 2 pick despite his consensus Round 3 grade. Only thing holding him back is he’s a bit older than most in this draft class.
- Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech: Outside Elliott, Dixon is the most complete back in this class. If the Browns want to add a legitimate guy to push Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson, then Dixon would be a good one.
Stay the course:
- Jordan Jenkins, Edge Rusher, Georgia: Great instincts and knowledge of the game. He isn’t going to fly past OT’s at the next level, but he’s going to give everything he has and always be in the right place / right time. A solid pick for this portion of the draft.
- Malcolm Mitchell, Wide Receiver, Georgia: Always have enjoyed watching WRs who play angry. He runs great routes and has good hands, which don’t disappear when he needs to take a hit. The only reason he lasts this long in the draft is due to the inconsistent Georgia offense. I believe he is a hidden gem in this draft.
Drop it like it’s hot:
- Sean Davis, safety, Maryland: He would be a project pick. A big project pick. But, given the incredible athleticism, the Browns could trust that Horton will find ways to make him shine in the meantime.
- Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona: All he does is make plays on the football field. Might be a bit too early to take a guy lacking in the measurables, so it would be a trade down and then just enjoy the tackles. Tyler Matakevich of Temple fits this mold as well.
Round 3, Pick 14 (77 overall)
Go up and git ‘em:
Fackrell, Dixon, Jenkins, or Davis. I mean, if the Browns can get two of those guys targeted near the top of Round 3, then all the better given the amount of later round assets they have in their back pocket.
Stay the course:
- Austin Hooper, Tight End, Stanford: Imagining Hue Jackson directing an offense with two versions of Gary Barnidge on it makes me giddy.
- Leonte Carroo, Wide Receiver, Rutgers: Off field issues and immaturity are big red flags for Carroo, but his on field production has been without question. Defenses didn’t have much to worry about against the Scarlet Knights, so Carroo had to really work hard to make plays. And, in most games, he made big ones. He’s a bit raw with his routes, but there is some good potential with him.
Drop it like it’s hot:
- Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh: A pure route-runner who catches the ball well. He’s not going to the the type of playmaker that I believe Hue Jackson wants, but every team needs a Brian Hartline type (Jackson likes to sub his WRs, so he’d go in for Hartline’s routes).
- Deandre Houston-Carson CB/S, William & Mary: A potential ball-hawk free safety, but one with limited experience there. So, he might be a package defender and special teams ace to start his career.
Other players to target in the draft
Please see the under-rated players from each round of the 2016 NFL Draft column.
Here are the Cleveland Browns other picks in the 2016 NFL Draft:
- Round 4, Pick 1 (99)
- Round 4, Pick 2 (100)
- Round 4, Pick 40 (138) (Compensatory Selection)
- Round 5, Pick 2 (141)
- Round 5, Pick 35 (172) (Compensatory Selection)
- Round 5, Pick 36 (173) (Compensatory Selection)
- Round 6, Pick 1 (176)
- Round 7, Pick 2 (223)
Stay tuned for WFNY’s coverage of the 2015 NFL Draft throughout the night.
WFNY Joe Gilbert’s 2016 NFL Draft Coverage:
Safeties | Cornerbacks | Inside Linebackers | Edge Rushers | Interior Defensive Linemen | Offensive Tackles | Interior Offensive Linemen | Tight Ends | Wide Receivers | Running Backs | Quarterbacks | Big Board
- In the interest of accountability, here is the 2015 version of this column. [↩]
- Unless that player somehow happens to be Jared Goff. [↩]
- Schwartz signed for $15 million guaranteed and a $7 million signing bonus, which is quite close to the numbers the No. 8 pick in the draft received last year – Vic Beasely of Clemson. [↩]
- Oh wait, they don’t have a first-round pick. Shucks. [↩]
68 Comments
Someone get Tunsil a gas mask STAT
as much as i want treadwell, I’m taking Tunsil if he’s there. And then get me a WR.
LOVE the 2017 2nd rounder!!!!!!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE
Talking heads are saying Lynch at 15…no, No, NO!
they don’t know Jack. haha.
Awfully quiet…we must be nervous…
C’mon Sashi, Laquon is right there! Do it!
Browns up. Cross your fingers.
I smell a trade down. How else are we going to get all of the 2017 and 2018 draft picks?
coleman is a mistake. not tough enough to play in NFL. crap.
NOT PAXTON LYNCH!!!
I posted this before. I’ll post it again.
On behalf of the Cleveland Browns, I offer two sincere apologies to the fans who will become butthurt over:
1. The Browns selecting a player that you didn’t want on the team. And/or…
2. The fact that no one from the Browns organization, contacted you for your consent or opinion, before they made their draft selections.
Coleman?
https://media.giphy.com/media/33iqmp5ATXT5m/giphy.gif
dude.
He’s the next Antonio Brown! Book it.
From WFNY:
“His hands are also a question mark, showing a lot of inconsistency in his catching ability. According to ESPN.com, he had the second worst career drop percentage amongst the top 15 receivers in the 2016 class.”
From NFL.com:
“Hands are a concern. Fails to catch away from his body. Dropped 10 passes for a drop rate of 11.9 percent. Loses focus and concentration on routes that work towards the middle of the field or when he senses defenders are closing in.”
From NFL.com:
“Coleman’s issues with drops near the middle of the field could be a concern if teams see him next as a slot receiver due to his lack of size.”
Who scouted this guy? Ray Farmer?
Sounds like this is something that can be worked on over time. Let’s see what Al Saunders can do with him.
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