May 20, 2013

Pick #247: Browns Select TE Brad Smelley

And it’s over! After three days and countless trades, the Browns are down with their selections in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The final selection with the 40th pick in the seventh round was tight end Brad Smelley from Alabama. Fittingly, ESPN just showcased on the bottom line that Smelley had a career-high four touchdown receptions this past year as the starting H-back for the national champions.

Smelley has decent size at almost 6-feet-2-inches and 233 lbs, but wasn’t very high on many boards. He doesn’t have ideal speed, burst or agility, and his top attribute in many different regards are his great hands.

On ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr said that Alabama QB AJ McCarron relied upon Smelley quite often this past season. Kiper said Smelley is a clutch guy with great hands who is someone to watch out for in the future.

Smelley will have some tough competition, even though the Browns are desperate for consistent wideouts. The team has stockpiled on tight ends over the past few years, and Smelley likely will need to shine throughout the offseason in order to get consistent playing time.

Stay tuned by tomorrow for all of the latest analysis from the WFNY crew. Thanks for sticking with us throughout this three-day process and come back soon for our thoughts.

[Related: NFL Draft: Cleveland selections talk about being Browns]

Pick #245: Browns Select CB Trevin Wade

Finally, it appears that the Browns have taken at least one action step toward fixing its secondary. With its second-to-last pick in the draft, the Browns picked up CB Trevin Wade out of Arizona, the team’s first secondary selection over the last three days.

A small cornerback listed at 5-feet-10-inches, Wade’s strengths are his above average quickness and agility, according to ESPN. He’s got prototypical bulk, but battled through a few injuries over the past few seasons, including a shoulder problem in 2011.

He finished with 52 tackles and 13 pass deflections during his senior campaign, impressive statistics for a guy who is said to have re-committed himself to the game. He lost his starting spot in 2010, but following his characteristics as an outspoken leader and competitor, he worked aggressively to end strong.

In terms of his fit with the Browns, obviously the team needs another starter alongside Joe Haden and possibly Buster Skrine. With more teams than ever passing frequently, Cleveland will need three solid cornerbacks, and we’ll see if Wade can make the team in order to compete for playing time soon.

The Browns also are about to pick at the No. 247 slot here late in the seventh round. Stay tuned by tomorrow for the latest WFNY analysis on this entire draft.

[Related: NFL Draft: Cleveland selections talk about being Browns]