2019 Draft Prospects Thread

[Pick6]

I think the "need" for a WR1 is a little overblown. Baker seems to spread the ball around to whoever the best option is and not force feed it to anyone. Look no further than Landry. His stats are a bit underwhelming giving what he's being paid, but I'm not sure we can blame him. It's not like he is dropping balls or not giving effort. Callaway is only going to get better (and has improved this season). Not sure spending big $$ or a high draft pick on a WR is the best way to construct this team moving forward. I'd prefer quality depth of mid-tier/underrated guys over top talent.

 

[Pick6]

I've heard Corbett is a guy they want on the interior next year. Tretter and/or Zeitler may not be on the roster next year.

Carrie is fine but he seems easily replaceable. Step above a JAG

Collins is really really good when he plays hard. Probably is he takes a LOT of plays off. He's a bad example for a young team. I'm totally good with letting Collins go.

Cap space isn't a problem and the Browns do not have depth to provide at least equal level replacement value by getting rid of these guys. Carrie sucks (at least on the outside IMO). No point in creating more needs when you don't need to for a team on the cusp. I don't get this boards mentality of wanting to move on from quality players.

 

[dark2332]

I've heard Corbett is a guy they want on the interior next year. Tretter and/or Zeitler may not be on the roster next year.

As some have mentioned—including Joe Thomas—for a guy who lacks ideal height at QB, it’s imperative that you also have very strong interior line play. Guys like Brees and Mayfield who see through lanes cannot stand pressure in their face.

Bitonio and Zeitler have graded out as some of the best guards in the league, with Kevin even over Joel in pass protection. Hell, PFF has him as the overall #6 guard in football.

Thus, I think it’d be a large mistake to cut Zeitler. I think Tretter is the one to go to get Corbett on the field as he’s not near the player the other two are.

 

[Jordan]

As some have mentioned—including Joe Thomas—for a guy who lacks ideal height at QB, it’s imperative that you also have very strong interior line play. Guys like Brees and Mayfield who see through lanes cannot stand pressure in their face.

Bitonio and Zeitler have graded out as some of the best guards in the league, with Kevin even over Joel in pass protection. Hell, PFF has him as the overall #6 guard in football.

Thus, I think it’d be a large mistake to cut Zeitler. I think Tretter is the one to go to get Corbett on the field as he’s not near the player the other two are.

Yeah, just to add to this, the analytics community has been showing for years that we should be analyzing offensive lines as a unit, and not about parts that do different things. I.E., one weak spot on an offensive line will lead to bad protection. Relatedly, for QBs that prefer a quick passing game, guards are actually more important than tackles.

 

[Lee]

Lee I think you’re vastly overrating our receiving core. It’s easily one of our worst units

I am not sure I am over rating it, I am just seeing we are 4 or 5 deep at the position with mediocracy but have a QB who flourishes with average receivers. I rather strengthen our defense and 0-line and go all in there and give our receivers another year to develop. Maybe add another average receiver in free agency, but rookie receivers take allot of time to develop and just not the route I want to go this off season.

 

[Lee]

If we are subscribing to the “protect Baker at all costs” theory, I’d like another TE threat.

Brady was impossibly good with Gronk & Hernandez. Is there another TE we could nab in the draft or FA to add a weapon to those kinds of sets?

I mentioned TE as a need. We could also look at putting Njoku out wide more especially if we can draft another TE with speed and hands. I would prefer another top TE in the 2nd or 3rd than a WR in the 1st.

 

[Lee]

Cap space isn't a problem and the Browns do not have depth to provide at least equal level replacement value by getting rid of these guys. Carrie sucks (at least on the outside IMO). No point in creating more needs when you don't need to for a team on the cusp. I don't get this boards mentality of wanting to move on from quality players.

Capp space will become a problem and over paying the WR will get us their quickly. Myles, Peppers, Njuku, and Mayfield all eventually need paid. This will cut into our cap significantly. While I think we should spend some of our cap, when we get good with these young players, personally I want the cap room to keep these young players.

 

[Randolphkeys]

The Browns do need an upgrade at Jaime Collins spot, but look back at last years linebacker class. Sure Roquon Smith and Leighton Van Der Esch are playing very well, but a number of mid-round middle linebackers have found success as starters. Darius Leonard is the best defender on the Colts as a second rounder, Fred Warner is the best non-defensive back for the Niners as a third rounder. We just saw 4th rounder Josey Jewell playing pretty well for Denver, and of course Genard Avery has been great for the Browns in the 5th. Linebackers who aren't edge players are available in those day two and three picks.

 

[Pick6]

Capp space will become a problem and over paying the WR will get us their quickly. Myles, Peppers, Njuku, and Mayfield all eventually need paid. This will cut into our cap significantly. While I think we should spend some of our cap, when we get good with these young players, personally I want the cap room to keep these young players.

Collins comes off the books after 2020. Zietler comes off the books after 2021. Tretter comes off the books after 2019. Highest cap hit (Tyrod) comes off the books after this year. I don't see any of this preventing us from signing most, if not all, of our young stars long term. I'm not even saying don't ever do it. I'm saying we don't need to be making holes that we don't have the talent to fill. Getting rid of these guys next year is premature and counterproductive.

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

So I've been looking at Ed Oliver falling in the draft after people realized he is still exceedingly raw in terms of hand technique and is still somewhat hindered by his size, and I've been wondering about Aaron Donald as a comp. Obviously it's difficult to compare anyone to Donald right now, considering just how singularly dominant he is as a pass rusher and even coming into the league the consensus seemed to be that he had very good hands to go along with his athleticism. I do wonder though, Donald was two years older than Oliver going into draft and I haven't been able to find any scouting on him from when he was at Olivers age. Is it reasonable to expect Oliver to, in a couple of years, approximate what Donald looked like coming into the league? I'm not very knowledgable about player development in football and how big of a difference two years is in terms of D line player development, but you'd think that there's reason to believe that him being as young as he is would speak to him having a lot of room to grow, right?

Donald was a flat out stud his last year in college. He won every major defensive award he could: Lombardi, Bronco Nagurski, Chuck Bednarik, ACC Defensive Player of the year, and unanimous All-American.

I just don’t see the two as a valid comp. Oliver never registered above 5 sacks in a weak conference. Maybe it’s from constant double and triple teams, but if you’re looking at him as an interior pass rusher it’s a concern.

 

[FiveThous]

..

 

[Ohio]

I think the "need" for a WR1 is a little overblown. Baker seems to spread the ball around to whoever the best option is and not force feed it to anyone. Look no further than Landry. His stats are a bit underwhelming giving what he's being paid, but I'm not sure we can blame him. It's not like he is dropping balls or not giving effort. Callaway is only going to get better (and has improved this season). Not sure spending big $$ or a high draft pick on a WR is the best way to construct this team moving forward. I'd prefer quality depth of mid-tier/underrated guys over top talent.

I completely agree, this is part of what I was getting at.

 

[UDcleveland]

So weird, but also exciting to have our first draft in forever where we can go BPA like a real team.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

So weird, but also exciting to have our first draft in forever where we can go BPA like a real team.

Right - we're now trying to create strengths rather than trying to fill holes. We could easily go BPA for OT, WR, DT, DE, or CB in the first round without worrying that we're screwed because we didn't fill some critical need.

 

[MD13]

I think the "need" for a WR1 is a little overblown. Baker seems to spread the ball around to whoever the best option is and not force feed it to anyone. Look no further than Landry. His stats are a bit underwhelming giving what he's being paid, but I'm not sure we can blame him. It's not like he is dropping balls or not giving effort. Callaway is only going to get better (and has improved this season). Not sure spending big $$ or a high draft pick on a WR is the best way to construct this team moving forward. I'd prefer quality depth of mid-tier/underrated guys over top talent.

The obvious counter for not upgrading WR is this: right now Landry is the most inefficient high-volume WR in the league as our #1. If we bring on a legitimate #1, that shifts everyone else one spot down on the pecking order and all of a sudden you get Landry feasting against weaker slot corners, Calloway and Perriman working against the #2 and #3 outside corners, etc etc. It could theoretically be a similar scenario to bringing on Denzel, as he made everyone else's matchups easier.