Cleveland Browns: First-guessing 5 2017 NFL Draft choices
Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Detail view of Cleveland Browns helmet against the Washington Redskins during the second half at FedEx Field. Washington Redskins wins 31 – 20. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
There might not be an easier place to second guess a professional sports team than in the draft process. Rather than second guess, here are five places where I'm first guessing the Cleveland Browns choices and providing alternatives.
I strive to live in a world where I can look at a Cleveland Browns draft and absolutely adore every pick they make. That didn't happen with the 2017 NFL Draft, so maybe 2018 is the year. After thoroughly analyzing all 10 picks the Browns made, here are five picks the Browns made that I would have done differently.
Obviously, I'm not privy to all the information that NFL teams have so they might have concerning medical news or character information that I don't. But based on what I do know, there are places the Browns could have done better. I did the same thing last year.
This is largely due to the fact that unlike where the Browns did extremely well, they went away from the analytics with these picks and they likely weren't made by the people who compile their analytical data. The hope is that the longer this process goes along, individual scouts and coaches will see just how effective the picks are that trust the numbers and either buy in to it or just let the front office run the entire draft.
That remains to be seen. For now, here are five picks that I believe could have been better utilized.
Sep 17, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (4) rushes on Michigan Wolverines quarterback Wilton Speight (3) and causes a fumble in the first quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
1. Cleveland Browns selected DeShone Kizer, QB from Notre Dame 52nd overall.
Alternative: They could have selected Chidobe Awuzie, DB from Colorado, selected 60th overall by the Dallas Cowboys.
The Browns selected a quarterback and there is a chance it could work, but even for people that adore Kizer, it's not a great situation. It's unlikely that Kizer or any other quarterback is going to be good enough this coming season to eliminate discussion of a franchise quarterback in the draft.
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And since the best thing that Kizer can do is sit and develop as a quarterback as a rookie, the Browns might effectively replace Kizer without actually getting on him on the field when the team already had a backup quarterback in Cody Kessler. On some level, having a good 2018 prospect, Kizer and Kessler in the quarterback room is an attractive proposition — but using the 52nd pick in the draft?
This is more about the options forgone to get a quarterback than it is the quarterback itself. In this case, the best option was Chidobe Awuzie. Awuzie could be a physical corner that can play the boundary, but he actually projected better to be a free safety and had first round talent. The Browns could have gone into the 2017 season with a pair of first round caliber safeties in Awuzie at free safety and Jabrill Peppers at strong safety, which is a really attractive proposition.
Awuzie projects to be at least a solid starter and could be more than that, which exactly what Peppers could do. Along with the defensive line they've put together, the Browns might have put together one tremendous safety tandem at the back end of their defense.
Sep 26, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Ohio Bobcats safety Nathan Carpenter (35) and linebacker Blair Brown (33) tackle Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Rodney Smith (24) at the line of scrimmage in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
2. Cleveland Browns traded up to select Howard Wilson, CB from Houston 126th overall.
Alternative: They could have selected Blair Brown, LB from Ohio, selected 148th by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Howard Wilson wasn't a bad pick and he could ultimately develop into a nice corner. The point here is that Blair Brown could be a special linebacker and actually could have filled a specific role for the Browns. Brown is a true MIKE linebacker that keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, can take on blocks and shows great speed and aggression plugging running lanes.
Age: 22 years old (Born May 27, 1994)
Height: 5-11.5
Weight: 238 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.65s
Broad Jump: 10'4″
Vertical: 37″ (38″ at Pro Day)
3-Cone: 6.92s
Shuttle: 4.18s
Bench: 22 reps
Production: 71 solo tackles (12.6 percent), 15 tackles for loss (14.2 percent), 4.5 sacks (10.2 percent), 2 forced fumbles (4.7 percent)
The NFL is a nickel defensive league, in which case the Browns will have Chris Kirksey and Jamie Collins on the field. That's going to be about three quarters of the game. For that 25 percent of the time, the question is how do they want to play it?
Does Kirksey play MIKE and someone like Joe Schobert come in and play the SAM? Or does Kirksey play WILL, Collins play SAM and someone like Demario Davis come in to play the MIKE?
Brown might have really simplified that situation because he is the prototypical MIKE backer. He'd give a physical run stopping presence while having a ton of speed on the field to cover ground and potentially drop into coverage. For the Jaguars, Brown may find himself the starting MIKE sooner than later and become increasingly difficult to take off the field.
Nov 5, 2016; Denton, TX, USA; North Texas Mean Green quarterback Mason Fine (6) gets sacked by Louisiana Tech Bulldogs safety Xavier Woods (7) at Apogee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sean Pokorny-USA TODAY Sports
3. Cleveland Browns traded up to select Roderick Johnson, OT from Florida State with the 160th pick of the draft.
Alternative: They could have selected Xavier Woods, S from Louisiana Tech, selected 191st by the Dallas Cowboys.
When looking at Roderick Johnson's tape and his athletic numbers, it's impossible to believe he's going to be a successful offensive tackle. A team might be better off putting a recliner at left tackle than Johnson.
The Cowboys doubled up with extremely talented defensive backs, first taking Awuzie and then adding Woods. Woods is a player that has experience playing free safety, strong safety, corner and the slot. For the Browns, he might have been able to back up both safety spots with the potential to start down the road.
Age: 21 (Born July 26, 1995)
Height: 5-10.75
Weight: 197 lbs
40-Yard Dash: 4.54s
Broad Jump: 10′2″
Vertical: 33.5″
3 Cone: 6.72s
Short Shuttle: 4.13s
Bench Press: 19 reps
Not only is he a good athlete, but he's got three years of tremendous production for the Bulldogs and became a leader in their defense. Some will criticize him by saying he misses a ton of plays, but if that's true, he came up and made a ton to make up for it.
In the past three seasons, which amounted to 41 games, Woods amassed the following:
149 solo tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, four sacks,15 interceptions, 16 pass deflections, six forced fumbles, and three defensive touchdowns.
Not bad. I feel like the Browns might be able to use that on their defense. And he projects to be a starter with the potential to be more than that.
Oct 15, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Brantley (57) against the Missouri Tigers during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
4. Cleveland Browns selected Caleb Brantley, DT from Florida with the 185th pick of the draft.
Alternative: They could have selected Pat Ricard, DT from Maine, an undrafted free agent.
It doesn't appear as though the Browns were ready for the PR nightmare that came with picking Brantley. Their response when asked about it made them sound worse. Executive Vice President Sashi Brown basically said that if the Browns did not like what they found with Brantley's legal situation, they could just cut him, throwing away the pick.
Let's completely eliminate the character from the equation and look at this purely from the football perspective. Brantley was selected essentially as a 1-gap penetrator. That's exactly what Ricard is, who is currently signed to the Baltimore Ravens.
Caleb Brantley
Age: 22 (Born Sept. 2, 1994)
Height: 6-2.625
Weight: 307 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 5.14s
Broad Jump: 8'9″
Vertical: 27″
3-Cone: 7.66s
Shuttle: 4.62s
Bench: 21 reps
Pat Ricard
Age: 22 (Born May 27, 1994)
Height: 6-3.375
Weight: 300 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 5.0s
Broad Jump: 8'10"
Vertical: 33.5″
3-Cone: 7.5s
Shuttle: 4.5s
Bench: 33 reps
Some will argue that Brantley was "fat" for his pro day when he worked out and I'm inclined to buy that theory. There are plenty of defensive tackles that make the mistake of adding weight because they think that's what NFL teams want, when Brantley is better suited to play in the 290s. Had he tested that way, he might have performed better.
Nevertheless, Ricard is better across the board. He's also about seven months younger than Brantley, so he has that going for him. Even if Brantley worked out at a better weight, Ricard would then have weight as well as everything else on him.
By the numbers, Ricard was more productive than Brantley, but there's no question that Brantley faced stiffer competition even if Florida's strength of schedule dropped off dramatically from recent years and Maine is part of the CAA, which is a good FCS conference.
On tape, both players function on quickness up front, being able to beat opponents to the spot and find seams to exploit. Brantley showcases a little bit more power, but Ricard plays with a far more consistent motor. Far too often, Brantley quits on plays he doesn't feel like he can make while Ricard is always working.
Outside of playing in the SEC, the only real advantage Brantley has on Ricard is being a couple months younger. The Browns might get another bite at the Ricard apple if the Ravens don't have room for him on their roster.
5. Cleveland Browns selected Matt Dayes, RB from N.C. State with the 252nd pick of the draft.
Alternative: They could have selected Max Rich, OT from Harvard, an undrafted free agent.
Matt Dayes is not a bad player, but he's a long shot to make the roster because of the numbers game in Cleveland. So it is far more prudent to take Rich, who has the potential to be a starting tackle in the NFL.
Rich started the past two seasons as Harvard's left tackle, which has now put three offensive linemen in the NFL in the past two years and is likely to have another one next year. One of those two from last year, Anthony Fabiano, is a member of the Browns already and could have added another one.
Height: 6-7.25
Weight: 311 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 5.12s
Broad Jump: 8'9″
Vertical: 30″
3-Cone: 7.18s
Shuttle: 4.51s
Bench: 25 reps
Rich is a terrific athlete with prototypical length, good explosion and excellent agility to be a left tackle in the NFL. Having him sit behind Thomas and take the starting reps on his off days could really accelerate his development.
Rich is currently an undrafted free agent who was signed by the New England Patriots. If he's a victim of the numbers game, the Browns may get another crack to fix a mistake on the waiver wire, exactly they did last year when they got Fabiano.