Cleveland Browns Draft ReDraft??

  Now that I have a few weeks in hindsight and some time to logically look at things, I want to do things a little different with this review.

I've been making a draft DVD for a friend of mine and I've been reviewing things as they progressed.
Yes, I still was steamed at the antics of Baker Mayfield and still think that this might be a bust that makes the selections of Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden, and Johnny Manziel look like the 1983 draft, but he's here now and I hope he does well because if he doesn't John Dorsey better be damn near perfect otherwise in his rebuild or this will be the Dorsey epitaph for his career in Cleveland.

However, I looked at the players that the Browns selected as the draft occurred here and I'm not going to do much of this here.
What I will do is to place for posterity so no one can claim otherwise, what I would have done with the Browns final draft bounty as they have the same picks as everyone for the 2019 draft.
So don't call it a review, let's call it a redraft.

Round 1
Browns Pick: Baker Mayfield QB Oklahoma
TRS: Sam Darnold QB USC

Simply put, the Browns selected a small and not overly fast quarterback because of the most elaborate con job seen in the league in years.
I see all the points for Mayfield and I'll counter with a not overly strong arm in a division that he'll play in wind and cold often, small (watch to see if he struggles to find passing lanes against the pass rush) and not especially fast (as noted) against the elite athletes in the NFL combined with an arrogance that won't wear well in Cleveland, should he not play well.
Sam Darnold is the safer pick, the more suited for the league with size and athleticism and would have been the better fit for the weather, the city, and the organization.
Mayfield vs Darnold will be the decision that fans will be talking about for years

Round 1
Browns Pick: Denzel Ward CB Ohio State.
TRS: Bradley Chubb DE N.C. State.

This one is one that I am fine with either way.
The Browns selected the best cornerback in the draft rather than the best pass rusher and that's a matter of preference.
I would have rather seen Chubb and Myles Garrett not allowing offensive lines to double team both and quarterbacks falling apart under their wrath, but the Browns also needed a shutdown corner as well and Ward suits that bill.
This pick really was one of crab vs lobster- They are both good eating, which one are you in the mood for?
I'm fine with Denzel Ward.

Round 2
Browns Pick: Austin Corbett G-T Nevada
TRS Pick: Connor Williams G-T Texas.

I preferred Connor Williams here because without his injury in 2017 at Texas, he would have been the first lineman off the board and at minimum a top 15 pick.
That said, if Corbett can play tackle, this is a solid pick,
The Browns needed a left tackle, they took steps to get one.
I preferred Williams, but Corbett is more than a solid lineman.

Round 2
Browns Pick: Nick Chubb RB Georgia
TRS: Derrius Guice RB LSU

I didn't have a problem with Nick Chubb here either.
I had Guice, Chubb and USC's Ronald Jones all ranked roughly the same and I leaned toward Guice because he's a different type of back than Carlos Hyde and I thought some different looks would be a good thing among Cleveland's backs.
Chubb is very similar to Hyde and the Browns must have wanted backs that could slide into the same slot and be used in the same manner.
I'm not going to hit them on that, just a different manner of building a team.

Round 3
Browns Pick: Chad Thomas DE Miami.FL.
TRS: Sam Hubbard DE Ohio State

After a drop of a few picks in a trade with the Colts, this pick was the one that I really shook my head at as I thought Chad Thomas was a fifth-round pick and Sam Hubbard was at least a second rounder.
Hubbard was a high energy player with the size to be a 4-3 end.
Thomas was just another guy at Miami and is a project pick.
Projects do work out sometimes, so I'm open to this working out, but the safer pick and the one that would help sooner was Sam Hubbard.

Round 4
Browns Pick; Antonio Callaway WR Florida
TRS: Antonio Callaway WR Florida

The Browns traded up for the oft-troubled Callaway and despite my dislike for players with baggage, I was OK with this.
In a down draft for pass catchers, had Callaway not had those issues, he might have been the first wideout taken.
But he does have those issues and on a team with Josh Gordon and now Baker Mayfield, the Browns are suddenly an incubator for possible locker room lawyers.
However, at the cost and the fact that Antonio Brown, who kills the Browns every year, thinks enough of Callaway to work with him all offseason, makes me think that maybe this will work out.
I'll believe in Antonio Brown and think Callaway was worth the risk-on a short leash that is.
If you gamble-gamble on greatness.

Round 5
Browns Pick: Genard Avery LB Memphis
TRS: Genard Avery LB Memphis.

As much as I hated Chad Thomas over Sam Hubbard-I loved this pick!
In fact, I had Avery rated higher than Thomas so this could be a steal.
Avery hits hard, hustles all over the field and will be a special teams demon.
IMO- Avery will make Christian Kirksey dispensible and could push him out the door in 2019, considering the ridiculous extension, Kirksey was signed to by Sashi Brown.

Round 6
Browns Pick: Damion Ratley WR Texas A&M
TRS: Deon Cain WR Clemson

Ratley is a tools guy with big size and speed, but little production to the point of not being invited to the combine.
Ratley does have deep speed for a QB that could struggle throwing the deep ball, so he's a lottery ticket.
Cain has similar tools with far more production in working with an NFL passer in DeShaun Watson.
We're in round six, but Cain was the better bet even considering the late spot.

Round 6
Browns Pick: Simeon Thomas CB Louisiana-Lafayette
TRS: Safe: Will Clapp C LSU or Lottery: Jordan Mailata Australia

For a team that wants to "change the culture", a nice catch phrase that everyone uses when rebuilding in any sport, the Browns sure took some questionable characters guys between Mayfield, Callaway and Simeon Thomas here in round six.
Thomas had issues with academics and an off-season theft issue with teammates and despite excellent size, I would have gone elsewhere.
It's late in the draft and there were several guys that could have been drafted by me-WR's Stephen Dunbar of Houston or Cedric Wilson, RB Bo Scarborough of Alabama or Temple defensive tackle Julian Taylor.
However, LSU center Will Clapp can play center or guard and might be a lineman with a chance to have a long career and if you love the lottery ticket, why not the massive Australian rugby star Jordan Mailata, who is a developmental project that might take time, but physically looks the part of an offensive tackle to a T.
Remember if you gamble- gamble on greatness, not gambles on "meh".

It takes time (at least three years) to judge a draft, so I'm not going to try.
I wanted to look at the draft in real time before these players hit the field and take my swings at the selections.
It all comes down to Baker Mayfield- if the Browns are right, the rebuild truly has begun and things will get brighter in Cleveland.
If I'm correct, you thought things were dark before, this might be the tip of the iceberg...

Browns finish up draft

The Cleveland Browns finished up their draft day early with three picks, one in round five and the final two in the sixth round.

I absolutely love the Browns selection in round five of Memphis linebacker Genard Avery.
I watched more American Athletic Conference football than any conference this year other than the Big Ten (Maybe the Pac 12 was close) and Avery ranked behind Houston's Ed Oliver (No Kidding, right?) as the defensive player in the league that just seemed to be all over the place running down ballcarriers as the proverbial man among boys.
Avery is physical, likes to hit, can play inside or outside linebacker (although I think he is better suited to the inside), can rush the passer and isn't awful in coverage in addition to being a strong special teams player.
So why was he available in the fifth round?
Frankly, I don't know because I had him pegged as more of a 3rd-4th round player and sometimes players fall through the cracks.
Had you told me Friday that the Browns had taken Genard Avery in the 3rd round where they took Chad Thomas, I would have likely had a better reaction than I did for Thomas
I watched a lot of Boise State games and saw a lot of Dallas first rounder Leighton Vander Esch and from the more limited games that I saw Avery in (I see almost all Boise games, I watched maybe four or five Memphis games), I didn't see much difference in the two except Vander Esch is four inches taller and a handful of pounds heavier with Avery being a little faster.
I'm really happy with this pick and I might even go as far to say that Avery might be a starter as early as 2019.


In the sixth round, the Browns added another receiver in Texas A&M's Damion Ratley.
Ratley is big (6'2) and fast (Faster than his teammate Christian Kirk, who was taken off the board in round two), so he is very toolsy.
The problem is that as an Aggie, he was pretty much a one trick pony as in- "go deep and if we throw it to you- catch it", so route running will be something that Ratley will need to work on.
The rap on Ratley apparently was that Ratley doesn't block well, doesn't like physical corners and doesn't always hustle on special teams.
Considering that most backup wideouts have to help make special teams work part of their profession, Ratley will have to change that in a hurry to make the Browns final roster.
I had two players that I preferred to Ratley in the super-productive Cedric Wilson of Boise State (Picked by Dallas in the sixth round) and Steven Dunbar of Houston (Free agent-49ers), but I could have a bias because I watched so many of their games over their career.
Still, Ratley will have a rough time making this roster.


The Browns final pick is a player that I know very little about in Simeon Thomas, a cornerback from
Louisiana-Lafayette.
Thomas looks like what you would think a player from the smallest of the group of five conferences would be if you took a chance on him- he's big for a corner at 6'2 and 197 and he's athletic with strong leaping ability.
However, Thomas played just one full season in his four years at ULL, had academic issues and was involved in a theft with 13 other football players, so there are questions with Thomas.
I've never seen him play and there is next to nothing on Thomas as far as tape goes, so he's an unknown quantity.
I will say this though if the Browns were going to take a cornerback with off the field questions and with plenty of physical ability, I really liked the tape of Holton Hill of Texas, who signed with the Vikings as a free agent.
Hill's problems clearly scared teams off, but if the Browns weren't bothered by those issues of Thomas (or Antonio Callaway's for that matter), I'm not sure why they would be concerned by those of Hill.


I'll have a Browns draft recap sometime soon, but we still have today's Cavaliers game, a bloated inbox and road trip stories to write, so a Browns recap may wait a little bit...

Browns roll the dice with Antonio Callaway-Day Three

I was trying to sleep (not all that successfully) and woke up having missed the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

I was surprised to see the Cleveland Browns make a move up into the fourth round to gamble on the off-field issue plagued wide receiver Antonio Callaway of Florida.
The cost was reasonable, shipping the sixth-rounder obtained from Indianapolis last night to New England to move up in the fourth round,

Antonio Callaway on pure football talent ranks with the two receivers (D.J. Moore and Calvin Ridley) chosen in the first round.
Callaway has no questions about his hands, his speed or route running and he scored touchdowns for the Gators via the rush, pass, reception and kick and punt returns- with the ball in his hands, Callaway is dynamic.
If his head is on straight, Callaway could be an impact player for the Browns.

However, this is where he becomes a question mark- Callaway missed all of 2017 in Gainesville for using stolen credit card information to buy things at the student bookstore and that comes after previous issues with sexual assault (cleared when the victim did not show at a hearing) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Not exactly a resume' of a solid citizen and not one that you would think would be part of a "culture change" either for a Cleveland team that gave the definition of a 'safe' draft during the first two days.
John Dorsey took a chance in Kansas City with a similarly talented and troubled player in Tyreek Hill and was rewarded with a tremendous career so far from Hill, so Dorsey is not adverse to trying to give a player with a past record an opportunity provided that he has the talent that is to make giving him that opportunity a high reward for the team.

I'm normally a person that doesn't want players with off the field issues on the team.
I still believe that we should want players to represent the city etc without these issues and looking at the other three teams in the division, each of those teams have players that I wouldn't want for those reasons alone.
You know what else those three teams do that the Browns usually don't- win football games.
We may have reached the point in the league where in order to win occasionally you need to take some risks as far as attitude and issues and as sad as it is, might be almost mandatory to do these things on occasion.

As long as Antonio Callaway can keep on the right path, his talent makes this worth the risk, but I would make sure that Callaway knows that there is a short leash in Cleveland and any problems would mean dismissal.
Assuming all of that is the case, I reluctantly approve of taking the chance.

I'll be back tonight with the other picks and tonight's boxing challenge.

Browns draft Nick Chubb and Chad Thomas

The Cleveland Browns completed their day two picks with a second-rounder and a trade-down that added an extra third-day choice.

Two picks after the Browns selected Austin Corbett, Cleveland was on the clock again with the pick acquired from Houston last year on draft day in return for eating the cash on the contract of Brock Osweiler.
Entering the round, I noted earlier that the offensive lineman that I wanted was Connor Williams of Texas, but with the selection of Austin Corbett, I figured the need for an offensive lineman had disappeared.
I had hoped for Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki, but if the team tabbed a running back, my top choices were LSU's Derrius Guice and USC's Ronald Jones.

The Browns would take a runner and even one that I liked in Georgia's Nick Chubb.
Chubb was one of the best backs in the game, but despite rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2016 and 2017, Chubb still doesn't seem to be the same back since a devastating knee injury suffered in 2015 when he ranked with Penn State's Saquon Barkley as the best freshman running back.
Chubb has been healthy the last two years and that tells me either A) he is pretty much what he is or B) he still might have some room to gain back some of what he has lost.

Either way, the Browns have themselves a pretty solid back.
My issue with Chubb compared to Jones or Guice ( who fell drastically down the board after some off-the-field questions) is that he is pretty similar in style to Carlos Hyde.
Now to the Browns, that might be a good thing as they could rotate Hyde and Chubb and not have any variations in the type of back that they have in the lineup.
I would rather have gone in a different direction and rather had a back that did some different things to join a bruising runner in Hyde and the pass-catching multi-dimensional back in Duke Johnson to add another option to the offense.
None of that is meant to disparage Chubb's ability at all, he's an excellent back who runs very well between the tackles, doesn't go down at first contact, and runs with toughness.
Chubb isn't going to round the corner often and he doesn't have the agility that he did before the injury, but he still is going to be a solid back and likely a fan favorite with his hard-nosed manner of running.


The Browns had the final pick of the second round which was the final piece in the Carson Wentz trade from the Eagles to wrap the final tally for the Browns from that trade.
That will have to wait until today as the Browns traded the pick to the Colts (the Colts picked Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis) for the Colts third-rounder and a sixth-rounder.
In layman's terms, the Browns added a sixth for dropping three spots.

I was hoping here that Cleveland would take another Buckeye in the high-motor defensive end Sam Hubbard (Hubbard would go later in the third round to the Bengals), who some had projected to possibly be a late first-round pick.

Yet again, the Browns addressed the position, but not the player as Cleveland selected Miami defensive end, Chad Thomas.
Thomas is 6'5 and 275 and has an impressive wingspan that you would think would be a pass rusher.
Instead, Thomas is a better run defender than a pass rusher and can occasionally be spotted against guards as a defensive tackle.
His versatility to move along the line is his major calling card and looks to be more of a jack of all trades and a rotational lineman than an eventual starter.
For the first time (even more than Baker Mayfield), I think the Browns dropped the ball here with the selection of Thomas over Hubbard.
Hubbard would have added a hustle pass rush, added more of the "attitude" that the Browns claim to want so badly and Hubbard wound up inside the division with the Bengals, which makes it even worse.
I think this was an overdraft and the first one that I really wondered about what they were thinking.
Baker Mayfield was an overdraft in my opinion too, but I understood their thinking even though I disagree with the evaluation, but Thomas over Hubbard is a head-scratcher to me.

I'll be back later with the day three recap.
Depending on if I am out of bed early, I may do a single post on the fourth-round selection (Packers) and another one with the remaining selections from the fifth round (Packers) and three sixth-rounders (Their own, Colts and Redskins).

Browns draft Austin Corbett-Round 2

I decided to watch day two of the draft with the Cavaliers and used the picture in picture feature, so I wasn't watching game six of their series vs Indiana as closely as usual.
Indiana pounded the Cavaliers by 34 points to force game seven on Sunday in Cleveland.
So, that's why no Cavalier coverage tonight and instead will write about the three newest Browns.

With the first pick in the second round, I was hoping that the Browns would go offensive line with one of their two picks (33 and 35) and the player that I was hoping was the choice was Connor Williams of Texas.
I believe that had Williams not been injured early in the season, Williams would have been in the top 15 and might have been the first tackle taken off the board.

John Dorsey and the Browns didn't go my way as far as player, but they did address the offensive line with Nevada's Austin Corbett.
I was dismayed at first about not taking Williams (Williams would go later in the round to the Dallas Cowboys),but the more I think about Corbett (who I figured would be a late second to third rounder), I don't think it's a bad pick, although I still prefer drafting Williams.

The 6'4 306 pound Corbett was announced as a guard, although he played tackle for Nevada and I think that the Browns have to be thinking about Corbett challenging Shon Coleman to be the replacement for Joe Thomas at left tackle.
Considering the Browns have Joel Bitonio and Kevin Zeitler at guard at a considerable amount of money, I can't believe the Browns used a pick of this value to provide depth at guard- I would highly suspect that he was drafted to be a tackle.
Corbett replaced current Browns starter Joel Bitonio at Nevada and if Corbett can be on the level of Bitonio, then the Browns have a winner.
Corbett looks to be light enough on his feet to play tackle and looks pretty similar to Bitonio, who
has been one of the few draft picks to become a standout over the last few years
.

One of the frustrating things about being a Browns fan and writing about the team around the draft period is looking at the team when they draft at a position and take a player that you had lower than an available player.
What's even more frustrating is that I have a better hit rating than the Browns in this situation.
In four of the Browns first five picks in this draft, (Denzel Ward was the exception), this occurred as follows- the team's pick is listed first and mine second.
Baker Mayfield vs Sam Darnold
Connor Williams vs Austin Corbett
Nick Chubb vs Ronald Jones/Derrius Guice (Only because of concerns for Chubb's knee, not for his ability, assuming Chubb is 100 percent, I prefer Chubb to either of the two mentioned backs);
Chad Thomas vs Sam Hubbard.
It'll be interesting to check back in two or three years and see who is correct more often.
If it is my choices that are correct more than not (especially with Baker Mayfield) the Browns aren't going to be better off than they are now.

Browns draft Denzel Ward

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns may have disappointed me a little (Much like you would be disappointed when your car falls on top of you) at one with the selection of Baker Mayfield, but I was reasonably happy at the fourth slot when the Browns selected a Buckeye in cornerback Denzel Ward.
The drafting of Ward at 4 is the highest for a cornerback since Charles Woodson in 1998.


I would say reasonably happy because even though I had Ward rated as my top cornerback and top player period among players in the secondary, I still would have taken Bradley Chubb of N.C.State and let Chubb and Myles Garrett rampage through offensive lines that couldn't afford to double-team both players.
I would have selected Chubb, but that's not a bad reflection on Ward at all.
I just would have rather had the best pass rusher than the best cornerback, but let's look at Ward and being a Buckeye, you know I've seen every game that he has played.

Ward is fast and athletic with the ability to play either man to man or zone so Ward won't be a cornerback that is wedded to a particular defensive scheme.
What I really like about Denzel Ward is his ball skills and has excellent hands for a corner, which is not very often written.
After all, one of the old standard statements is that cornerbacks are often wide receivers with bad hands.
The only knocks on Ward are that he's not the biggest corner at 5'10 185 and can be pushed off the ball by the bigger wide receivers.
Some of that can be helped with just growing and getting stronger, but those are minor issues.

Ohio State continues to pump out NFL caliber players in the secondary and you can look back to just last year when Marshon Lattimore won defensive rookie of the year for the Saints.
I rated Lattimore a little higher last year than I had Ward this year, but Ward is projected to be an elite cornerback.

The second round is today and the Browns have two of the top three picks.
There are some excellent players available for them.
My top rated offensive tackle is still on the board in Connor Williams of Texas and my second rated runner slid a bit in Derrius Guice of LSU.
If that is the pair that the Browns land with those picks, I'll feel a little better about the draft so far.
Nothing is going to make me feel great about Baker Mayfield, but hitting on the day two picks will make me feel a bit less sick about things.
I like Josh Jackson, a corner from Iowa a lot, but are the Browns willing to take another cornerback that high after taking Denzel Ward?
Mike Gesicki of Penn State could be an impact player at tight end and even though the Browns took David Njoku in the first round last year, Gesicki is a first round talent and I think he could be a super player.
I noted yesterday that I liked Courtland Sutton, the wideout from SMU and he is still available as is Anthony Miller of Memphis.

I would go Williams/Gesicki if both are available at 33/35 and as much as I like Guice, there are several solid backs on the board (Most notably Ronald Jones.Kerryon Johnson and Nick Chubb) that one of those could be available with the Eagles pick at the end of the round.

I still have so much to do here with the review of the last trip and the bursting at the seams inbox, but hang in there, we'll get caught up soon!

Browns tab Baker Mayfield, why I'm just sick and why I may be moving on.

I'm in the five stages right now.

I just cannot believe I've put so much hope, excitement, research work, and yes even faith in John Dorsey and came up with Baker Mayfield.

I watched 31 losses in 32 games and I received Baker Mayfield.

It feels like those old gimmicky t-shirts "Mom and Dad went to X and All I got was this lousy t-shirt".

I paid numerous dollars over the last 13 years for Sunday Ticket and I received Baker Mayfield.

I read so many things like Baker Mayfield's a "winner", wants the "Challenge" of Cleveland, arm strength, and competitiveness and wonder some things.

As I ponder this, some things come to mind and I come up with a comparison with a Browns quarterback of the past and it's not the one that you will expect.

I have Baker Mayfield as the fifth rated quarterback in this draft ( Sam Darnold is my favorite by far, Josh Allen on tools, Josh Rosen throws a nice ball but has a concussion history so while I like his ability I'd stay away, I like Lamar Jackson a lot more than others do, it seems and then Mayfield) as a late first/early second-round player.

Taking him here is a massive reach and the Browns better be right.

Baker's a winner: Baker won a lot of games, but he didn't win 45 of them.

Every year, a player is coming into the draft that won a lot of games in college, was fun to watch and some had compelling personalities.

And with one exception (Tim Tebow), those guys slide into late day two and day three and find themselves as clipboard carriers and career backups.

Fans fail to realize that even the best college defenses might have 4 guys that play in the NFL and the speed of the NFL game soon overwhelms these "gutty winners" and puts them where they should be

"Great college players that just weren't NFL starters".

No shame in that, but Baker Mayfield and his crew have risen above that as they have crafted a narrative that has lifted a day two talent into the first pick in the draft.

I was always a big fan of Kellen Moore, who fit that mold as a "winner" etc and as a backup, Moore was a great guy to have on the team, but when forced into action, the speed of the game was beyond what he could do athletically and he was unsuccessful.

Baker's teammates loved playing for him.

That very well could be, but this leadership magnetism only goes as far as your won/loss record, which at Oklahoma is easy to roll up with superior talent and won't be the case in the NFL.

Arm strength- Mayfield is an average armed passer, I wouldn't rate him as a noodle arm like some Browns QB's, but not the type of power arm that you hope to have in a guaranteed eleven games in a cold-weather climate-based division.

Mayfield seems to be the opposite of what you would want in Cleveland as far arm strength and getting the ball downfield to guys like Josh Gordon, who will have some of the best qualities of his game nullified.

The off the field issues weren't a problem with the comparison I'll make shortly, but Mayfield's swagger and attitude extend off the field as well with various problems and brings drama to a franchise that was supposedly trying to avoid it.

Baker Mayfield isn't Johnny Manziel.

He's Colt McCoy with off-field baggage.

College winner in a defensively challenged conference with all the trimmings for college success.

Lacking the size, stature, and arm strength to succeed in a division that plays in cold and wind, Colt McCoy became a backup and that's where I see Baker Mayfield over the long haul.

Unable to move around the better athletes in the NFL and unable to throw the long ball through the wind, McCoy/Mayfield became a dink and dunker with defenses daring him to throw long.

Combine that both players have fathers that certainly aren't afraid to comment and stick their opinions into the team and I believe that Colt McCoy (on the field) is a better comparison to Baker Mayfield.

The difference is the Browns wasted the top overall pick on Mayfield, McCoy was a third-rounder.

In the end, this might be it.

I relied on John Dorsey to do the right thing and he gave me Baker Mayfield in the most elaborate con game that has ever been played in the NFL draft.

From the cocky act to the reality show to the comments of being the best player in the draft, Team Mayfield chiseled a narrative to get Mayfield as high in the draft as they could (nothing wrong with that, mind you) because they know.

What they know that the Browns and some observers don't is that much of this is an act.

More sizzle than steak and what they really know is this- it's made for the short-term to get as large of a contract as possible (Slot money) before he becomes exposed as what he is- an undersized average armed backup that has used charisma to charm a certain demographic.

John Dorsey might have been conned. I'm not. 

I relied on football people to do the right thing.

They didn't and maybe I've had enough...

Cleveland Browns Persons of Interest-Part Two

The defensive persons of interest have to start with N.C State defensive end Bradley Chubb.
Chubb plays with a high motor and is clearly the top pass rusher in the draft.
If the Browns draft Chubb, they should be able to put some serious heat on opposing quarterbacks with Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah and raises their pass rush to the elite level.
If the Browns would miss out on Chubb either by someone else taking him or passing on him, Sam Hubbard of Ohio State could be a consideration either as a first-round trade-in or with one of the second rounders.
I love the talent and speed of Marcus Davenport of UTSA and he might turn out to be as good as Chubb, but the lesser competition is a small concern.
A year or two of strong coaching might make Davenport and eventual all-pro level player.
I'm not sure if the Browns will take a defensive tackle, but I'm a big fan of two players.
I really like Du'Ron Payne of Alabama, who I think will be that defensive tackle rarity- the three-down defensive tackle that is able to generate an inside pass rush.
USC's Rasheem Green isn't as wide as you would hope from an interior lineman, but his speed and pass rushing skills make him a player that you could rotate in and out at both tackle and end.
I like the potential of Virginia Tech's Tim Settle and Georgia's Trenton Thompson reminds me of one of those linemen that are a little undersized and yet all they do is hustle all over the field and play in the league for ten years.

The Browns might use a day three pick on a linebacker,so I'm going to focus there.
For the record, I'm really a big fan of Leighton Vander Esch of Boise State because I've seen him play so much but he'll go before the Browns are likely to pick one.
My favorite third-day hopeful? Josey Jewell of Iowa, who reminds me of Christian Kirksey and might develop into that type of player.
Jewell should at least be a special teams demon.

In the secondary, I have Ohio State's Denzel Ward as my top corner and should the Browns trade down from four, I think Ward is a consideration.
I think Minkah Fitzpatrick of Alabama might wind up as a tweener, not a true cornerback or a safety.
Fitzpatrick is more of a 15-20 player on my board rather than the top five player that he was graded as many entering the draft.
I loved Desmond King of Iowa as a corner/ballhawk last year and he produced a huge rookie year for the Chargers-I think Josh Jackson of the same school brings similar skills and is faster.
Jackson will go earlier than King did so he could be a second-round consideration.
A corner with the talent to be a second-day pick that shouldn't go before the final day is Texas Longhorn Holton Hill, who will fall due to off-field issues.
Hill might be worth a flier in the sixth or seventh round.
My highest rated safety is Florida State's Derwin James, who I think will enter the league as my favorite to win defensive rookie of the year.
James will go in the latter part of the top ten and some team is going to be quite fortunate.

This is an important draft for the Browns and I cannot believe that they will throw away all the goodwill that the new front office has earned on Baker Mayfield.
Here is hoping that the people in Berea are smart enough to not to suckered in by a con man.
See you tonight with lots of thoughts on the Browns selections.

Cleveland Browns-Persons of Interest

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

The Persons of Interest series won't be as detailed as usual, mainly because of the number of items to write about (the inbox keeps getting larger and larger every day), but I did want to make a list of a few players so I can look back in a few years and see how much that I was right and wrong about.

This is the year that the Cleveland Browns will finally go quarterback and there are a few that I like a lot.

Of course, this really boils down to this -I would be happy ( in various degrees) with any of four quarterbacks and only have a distaste for one of them.

Being a Browns fan means that you worry that one guy will be the choice and this year Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma is in the rumor mill as a possible choice.

I'm not crazy about a six-foot, not great athletically, slightly above average armed spread option quarterback as my choice as my first-rounder at first overall in the draft!

My passer of choice would be USC's, Sam Darnold, who I've liked since I saw him as a freshman.

I think he's the most rounded of the quarterbacks and I'm not dissuaded by the turnover rap from last season with the Trojans.

I watched a lot of his games and his line was atrocious, so I'm convinced that Darnold was not to blame.

I like UCLA's Josh Rosen and he throws the best ball, but I am concerned about a concussion history and Rosen has been rumored to be a player that has interests besides football.

Wyoming's Josh Allen has all the tools and might be John Elway if all goes well.

I can also see him being Derek Anderson, so Allen is the definition of High-Risk High Reward.

I like Louisville's Lamar Jackson much more than many observers do, but I'd wonder about him with the first or second of the Browns two first-rounders.

Browns fans would go nuts with picks at 1 and 4 and not picking a QB, but I wouldn't be against picks there and trade back into round one-if I knew I could land Jackson. 

At running back, I like Saquon Barkley of Penn State a lot, but I don't have him rated higher than Ezekiel Elliott or Todd Gurley when they came out.

Barkley's the best back in this draft, but I'm not sure I buy that he's a once in a generation back.

I also like several other backs in the day two range- Derrius Guice of LSU, the Georgia pair of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb bring different skills with Michel being more of a pass-catcher with good running skills and Chubb more of a piledriving back.

I like Ronald Jones of USC a lot, but he needs to get stronger to break tackles in the NFL. 

I wouldn't be against a day three shot at Alabama's Bo Scarborough, who didn't play as well in 2017 as he did in 2016.

The wide receivers aren't as strong this draft with Calvin Ridley of Alabama being the best on my board, but even Ridley isn't quite top ten caliber.

I like D.J. Moore of Maryland and Anthony Miller of Memphis, but they are more slot receivers on a team that just traded for Jarvis Landry.

D.J. Clark of LSU has all the tools to be a huge vertical threat and could be a huge star if he develops his route running.

I've always been a fan of SMU's Courtland Sutton, who might not be a number one receiver, but could be a very productive number two opposite a good number one.

My deep sleeper is Houston's Steven Dunbar, who I've always thought reminded me a little of Marques Colston.

Three tight ends stand out over the rest and I'd love to have one, but will the Browns draft a tight end high after David Njoku's first-round selection last season?

Dallas Goedert of South Dakota State has all the physical tools but has the small school rap, Mike Gesecki of Penn State is going to be a red-zone nightmare for defenses and South Carolina's Hayden Hurst is still learning after spending a few years in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.

Most people have Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey as their top tackle and I'm high on him, but my top tackle is Texas lineman Connor Williams, who entered last season as a potential top-five pick before injuries ruined his 2017.

Williams would be the replacement for Joe Thomas and I'd consider moving back into the first round for him, should the price be reasonable. McGlinchey would also be an option in the same scenario.

UCLA's Kolton Miller and Oregon's Tyrell Crosby are talented tackles that need refinement and might be nice day two considerations if the Browns cannot move up.

Notre Dame's Quentin Nelson is clearly the top overall lineman in the draft and only the rule of not picking a guard in the top five keeps Nelson from going in those slots.

Nelson's that good.

I don't see the Browns going guard or center as the only need on the line is at tackle.

I'm going to try to return later with persons of interest on the defensive side if I have the time...

Darnold and Rosen Declare-The Countdown Starts

(Kelvin Kuo | USA TODAY Sports

I've been really uninspired of late.
Post-football comedown, next to no baseball news, no Devils games since my Devils buddy has lost interest without her hero and just not a lot to write about.

I might be writing soon about the Browns season or maybe not because I might just like to forget it and I may or may not write about this ridiculous parade around the stadium to 'celebrate' 0-16, which people are mistaking as a celebration instead of what it should be- a protest against the futility of the Haslam ownership.

The Browns will have plenty to choose from as this looks to be one of the best quarterback crops in years, although as always there are questions.
Plenty of underclassmen have declared with 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville joining Sam Darnold of USC and UCLA's Josh Rosen from the youngsters and the 2017 Heisman winner Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma, Mason Rudolph of Oklahoma State and early graduate Josh Allen of Wyoming from the sheepskin crew.
It's not out of the realm of possibility that all six of those passers could go in the first round and the Browns picking first and fourth will have the pick of the bunch or at least grab one of the better ones along with another top player.

It's odd that observers,fans and followers each seem to have already latched on to favorites even before combines, all-star games and all the film that needs to be broken down.
I like some more than others at this point, but still, have much more to line up to truly feel comfortable with a final decision.

As of now, I like Sam Darnold the best, but he needs to have some time to develop.
I think if he is given that time, he is going to have a really good career.
Darnold reminds me a lot of Brett Favre and that would go a long way with me and the Browns.
Josh Rosen throws a beautiful pass, but he seems to have some issues off the field with the importance of football in his life and doesn't really seem to want to play in Cleveland, although I could more than understand that.
Josh Allen has all the tools, but for every Carson Wentz that pulls off the jump against small competition, so many players fail despite the talent. so I do wonder about Allen and especially his accuracy, which makes me think of DeShone Kizer and that's not good.
Baker Mayfield has his good points, but something makes me leery and needs to be picked by a good culture teams that would be willing to teach the right way to him in a low-pressure environment.
If Mayfield is picked by a team that expects him to step right and lead, he could become an issue right away off the field.
I liked DeShaun Watson last year more than I like Lamar Jackson this year, but Jackson could be very interesting in the right offense.
A team that might be an interesting fit for Jackson? The Bengals...
Mason Rudolph looks the part and someone will take a shot, especially if he looks good in the Senior Bowl, which looks loaded with talent this year and is a must watch for draft watchers this year.

I might be back later with a few words on this "parade" today in Cleveland..