| 2008 DRAFT PICKS | 2008
REPORT CARD followed by workout numbers |
2008
TEAM NEEDS prior to free agency |
| 2007 DRAFT PICKS | 2007
REPORT CARD followed by comments & workout numbers |
2007
TEAM NEEDS prior to free agency |
| 2006 Draft Picks | 2006 Draft Report Card | 2006 Team Needs |
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2008
DRAFT PICKS
links go to NFL.com
website
| Arizona | ||||||||
| Rd | Sel# | Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | School | Jay's ranking | Jay's draft value |
| 4 | 105 | Beau Bell | ILB/OLB | 6'1.2" | 244 | UNLV | Late Round Value | |
| 4 | 111 | Martin Rucker | TE | 6'4" | 251 | Missouri | #12 TE | Round 4/Round 5 |
| 6 | 190 | Ahtyba Rubin | DT | 6'2.6" | 315 | Iowa State | #6 DT | Round 2/Round 3 |
|
Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him. |
Rubin was unblockable during Senior Bowl drills and followed that up with a very good game. He can play inside in a 4-3 and also could play the nose in a 3-4. He is a strong kid who is a good athlete for a nose tackle. I expect Rubin to grow into a top run-stuffing tackle who can also push the pocket and get pressure on the quarterback up the middle. Rubin is an underrated prospect heading into the draft. |
| 6 | 191 | Paul Hubbard | WR | 6'2.6" | 221 | Wisconsin | #16 WR | Round 3/Round 4 |
|
Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him. |
Want a sleeper who could be available on day two, but turn into a solid NFL starter? How about Hubbard. He only played 8 games his senior year but has an excellent combination of size, speed, quickness, and athleticism. He needs better concentration to become a more reliable target, but has shown good hands in long spurts. He also comes from a school that has produced NFL receivers like Chris Chambers and Lee Evans. If drafted in the right situation (one where he has a chance to see the field), Hubbard could be a pleasant surprise. |
| 7 | 231 | Alex Hall | DE/OLB | 6'4.6" | 238 | St Augustine | #16 WR | Free Agent |
| FA | Kolomona Kapanui | TE | 6'3.3" | 271 | W Texas A&M | Late Round Value/Free Agent | ||
| FA | Eric Young | OG/OT | 6'3" | 310 | Tennessee | #4 OG | Round 3 | |
| FA | Gerald Lawson | CB/S/RET | 5'10.3" | 192 | Oregon St | #21 CB | Round 4/Round 5 |
|
Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him. |
I may be one of the only draft sites touting this kid, but I believe he will make a team and immediately be one of the best special teams players in the league. Lawton can return punts and kicks, is a terror on special teams coverage units, and even blocked a kick in his senior year. As a defensive back, he could become a valuable dime back because of his mix of good speed and tremendous athleticism. |
| FA | Darnell Terrell | CB/FS | 6'1.6" | 203 | Missouri | Late Round Value | ||
| FA | Lance Leggett | WR | 6'3.1" | 194 | Miami | Late Round Value/Free Agent | ||
| FA | Chase Ortiz | DE/OLB | 6'2" | 249 | TCU | Late Round Value/Free Agent |
|
B- |
by Jay Goldberg |
|
The Browns did a tremendous job considering their prior trades which left them without a pick in the first three rounds. Down the line Rubin and Hubbard could become high-quality starters. In addition, free agent Eric Young could also develop into a quality starter when he recovers from injury. They took care of their major needs in free agency. However, I still believe they need better insurance for running back Jamal Lewis than Jason Wright. DRAFT PICKS Bells' best chance to succeed in the NFL is as a 3-4 inside linebacker. He can take on blockers and make tackles but lacks speed, quickness and athleticism. I do not believe he will ever grow into a starter. My selection at this spot in the draft would have been running back Tashard Choice. Rucker is a good receiving tight end who will be a reliable, move-the-chains type of player. He is not currently a good blocker, and will not stretch the field. The Browns stole Rubin. In time, he will be a run-stuffing stud who can also push the pocket against the pass. This kid was a load to block during Senior Bowl practices. He is very strong, and a decent athlete for a 315-pound defensive tackle. Hubbard is a very intriguing prospect. He has good size and speed, and is a top athlete. He has had stretches where he caught everything, but also has had stretches with drops. He needs better concentration to become more consistent, but could develop into an excellent number two receiver in a couple of years. Alex Hall was not on my radar. He is a defensive end/linebacker tweener who could develop down the line into a 3-4 pass rushing outside linebacker. He looks to be ticked for the practice squad. COLLEGE STREET FREE AGENTS Kapanui is a big kid who has good hands and could develop into a #3 tight end who can block and be a goal line target. Young was a great get in free agency. He will probably start on the PUP and be transferred to injured reserve down the line, but should compete for a backup spot in 2009. He has the base skill set to develop into a starter down the line. Lawson is a player I like a lot. Look for him to steal one of the Browns' last roster spots, and become a terror on special teams. He will then inch his way into the dime defense. And if Cribbs gets hurt, he could be a good fill in as a return man. Lawson likes to hit, is a heady player, has good speed, and is an explosive athlete. Terrell is another option as an extra defensive back. He has good size and good speed. Leggett is a tall receiver who is more fast than quick, but has good change of direction skills. He could be stashed on the Browns' practice squad for a couple of years. Ortiz is another defensive end/outside linebacker tweener. He lacks speed and athleticism, but is quick. He could battle Hall for a spot on the practice squad. |
red
indicates workout
number in top range at position in draft
(blue college name
indicates workout #'s include Pro Day numbers)
| COMBINE YES |
FIRST NAME | SCHOOL | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | BENCH | 40 | 10 | 20 | SHORT | LONG | 3 CONE | VERT | BROAD |
| Bell | Beau | UNLV | 6'1.2" | 242 | 25 | 4.90 | 1.72 | 2.83 | 4.56 | NA | 7.37 | 28.5" | 9'1" |
| Rucker | Martin | MISSOURI | 6'4" | 251 | 20 | 4.71 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Rubin | Ahtyba | IOWA STATE | 6'2.6" | 315 | 35 | 5.20 | 1.74 | 2.96 | 5.00 | NA | 8.05 | 28" | 8'10" |
| Hubbard | Paul | WISCONSIN | 6'2.6" | 221 | 15 | 4.38 | 1.53 | 2.56 | NA | NA | 6.93 | 39.5" | 10'6" |
| Hall | Alex | ST AUGUSTINE | 6'4.6" | 238 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Kapanui | Kolomona | W TEXAS A&M | 6'3.3" | 271 | 23 | 5.04 | 1.75 | 2.91 | 4.66 | NA | 7.42 | 26.5" | 8'11" |
| Young | Eric | TENNESSEE | 6'3" | 310 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Lawson | Gerald | OREGON ST | 5'10.3" | 192 | 14 | 4.47 | NA | NA | 4.28 | NA | 7.03 | 40.5" | 10'8" |
|
Terrell |
Darnell | MISSOURI | 6'1.6" | 203 | 15 | 4.46 | 1.50 | 2.59 | NA | NA | NA | 34" | 10'5" |
| Leggett | Lance | MIAMI | 6'3.1" | 194 | NA | 4.43 | 1.54 | 2.56 | 4.32 | NA | 6.56 | NA | 10'4" |
| Ortiz | Chase | TCU | 6'2" | 249 | 24 | 4.87 | 1.62 | 2.77 | 4.23 | NA | 7.03 | 31" | 9'0" |
2008 NEEDS PRIOR TO DRAFT AND FREE AGENCY
CLE Major Need Need Upgrade Depth Need Not a Need
| QB | Anderson had a breakout year and the Browns also have last year's #1 pick Quinn. Only an arm for camp will be needed unless Anderson is moved. |
| RB | Lewis had a very good year, which was a surprise for me. However, he is a free agent. Neither Wright nor Harrison will be able to step in as a starter should Lewis leave. So the Browns have to re-sign Lewis, or bring in new starter. |
| WR | Edwards is a stud. Jurevicius is an excellent possession receiver but he has had trouble staying on the field at times during his career. The bench has no one of particular interest. The Browns need two receivers. |
| TE | Winslow is a top starter, Heiden a top sub who would fill in well if Winslow went down. Dinkins isn't a bad #3. |
| OL | The Browns line played very well in 2007. If Bentley comes back that will be a bonus and add to this deep unit. If McKinney leaves in free agency a guard could be brought in to fight for a roster spot. |
| DL | Roye is in decline. Robaire Smith is solid, but not great. Rookie Shaun Smith was a surprise, but may be better as a backup who can rotate in at nose and end. The Browns need to bring in a starter, it could be a nose tackle with S Smith kicking out to end if needed or an end. It's possible they will bring in two new starters. Depth is also a need. |
| LB | This s a tough unit to analyze. On the surface, it looks strong. Jackson and Davis are solid players, but can be pushed around by big lineman. Williams has shown promise inside, but needs to be more consistent. On the outside, McGinest is aging, and Wimbley's sack dropped significantly. I also keep waiting for McMillan to step up. He's a player I thought fit perfectly into this defense. My best guess is that the Browns will bring in a player or two compete for jobs, but I could also see them going after a stud to give their defense an identity. |
| DB | The Browns' are heading in the right direction in their secondary. Pool and Jones are a pair of good young safeties. Bodden and Wright, had good and bad moments, but showed enough to be counted on in 2008. McDonald also had his good moments at corner. The Browns will bring in a top corner if one falls into their lap, but most likely will just bring in players to compete for backup spots. |
| ST | The only reason this spot was not graded as "no need" is because punter Zastudil had a down year. The Browns will bring in a punter to push him in camp, but will, most likely, count on a bounce-back year. Oh yeah, Cribbs is a special special teams player. |
2007
DRAFT PICKS
links go to NFL.com
website
| Rd | Sel# | Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | School | Jay's ranking | Jay's draft value |
| 1 | 3 | OT | 313 | |||||
| 1 | 22 | QB | 226 | |||||
| 2 | 53 | CB | 190 | |||||
| 5 | 140 | CB | 181 | |||||
| 6 | 200 | DE | 289 | |||||
| 7 | 213 | DE | 273 | |||||
| 7 | 234 | WR | 194 | |||||
| FA | Alston, Mike | 6-2 | ||||||
| WR | ||||||||
| FA | Pousson, Brent | |||||||
|
C+ |
by Jay Goldberg |
|
Everyone loves the Browns draft. Put me in the good but not great column. The Browns come out of draft day with a need at running back and a need for a #2 receiver who can take the heat off Edwards. The Browns made two trades on day. Their trade to get into round one was good. Their trade to get back into round two, after their first trade, backfired based on how the draft fell. While I liked Peterson best for the Browns, they will get absolutely no argument from me with the Thomas selection. Offensive line was an area of need for the Browns and they got the best one in the draft. I would not have traded up for Quinn. However, when a team likes a first round quarterback, making a bold move to get that quarterback is the thing for that team to do. With Frye and Anderson on the roster, it was a first round QB for the Browns or no QB for the Browns. Quinn will be an above average starting quarterback in the league. The jury is out, however, on whether he will be great. In my humble opinion, the trade up for Wright backfired. First of all, even disregarding his off-field issues, I had a second round, not first round grade on Wright. So he went where I had him graded and I do not view him as a potential steal where the Browns got him. Second, if the Browns stayed where they were, they could have grabbed wide receiver Jason Hill in round three and running back Antonio Pittman in round four. If the Browns did that, my grade for their draft would have been A+. Hill and Pittman will both be very good NFL players, and have big-play abilities. The Browns could have come out of this draft with their franchise left tackle, their quarterback of the future, a great receiving talent to play opposite Edwards, and a running back who is a faster Thomas Jones. Wright has decent size and good speed. He is best in press coverage where he can use his speed and strength because he has only average quickness. While he will play receivers physically, he does not step up and make tackles in the running game. He also has character concerns. McDonald was a nice get in round five. I had a fourth round grade on him. He played both corner and safety in college and could be an excellent dime back. He has plus coverage skills and is a big-time hitter. In time he could be a solid starting free safety who can play centerfield, come up and stop the run, and kick out into coverage when alignments call for it. Purcell could develop into a rotation player and eventual starter at defensive end. He has good size and the 3-4 defense fits his skill set. Pittman's upside is not as high as Purcell, but neither is his downside. Pittman will be a solid backup, while Purcell could become a starter or be out of the league in three years. Steptoe is a smallish receiver with good hands who is more quick than fast and can return punts and kickoffs. He has shot if he shows he can play special teams, but will have to fight for a roster spot. The Browns' college street free agents of note include Alston, an outside sacking linebacker who has the skill set for a 3-4 outside linebacker, but not the size. He could kick inside and has a chance to stick on the Browns' development squad. Mason was a great get in free agency. I had a fourth round grade on this top athlete. Mason has speed, quickness, strength, and athleticism and can catch. He also returns kicks. He will need time, but if he doesn't make the roster he should make the Browns' development squad. I like Mason's potential more than Steptoe's potential. Pousson has played center and tackle and his versatility will help his cause as he fights for a roster spot. Stephenson is an ide |