DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2016 NFL Season 2016 NFL Draft Draft Summary/Thoughts

Thoughts on the draft are easy. Overall I think I feel encouraged.

I think we picked up what will likely be 3 day 1 starters which is pretty good. Corey will start day 1 for certain. . . . . I don't see how Coleman doesn't start at RT - but that might be because of who else is viable as much as how ready Coleman is. I expect to see a better running game as a result - but pass protection is going to be inconsistent for a few games at least. . . . .Ogbah might be situational - but he should be in there a lot right from the start of the season too.

While I was surprised with some of the picks and Kessler is the biggest example - I have no problem with where they were taken or how many draft picks we used. . . . The difference between Kessler at 93 and 123 is exactly what?? If Kessler is the guy they wanted. . . I don't think there is a plug n play starter waiting to be selected at 93 that we missed because we took Kessler. And if he's the BPA on their board at that pick then they should pick him.

As for quantity at the bottom of the draft - it is totally a numbers game. And if you need some luck hitting on players that will contribute that late in the draft - having 8 picks in rounds 4 and 5 increase your chance of being a little lucky as opposed to having 1 or 2 picks in each round. jmo.

AND ... one more thought - which is probably the most positive of all.

It felt like the FO had a PLAN. And it felt like they were confident in the plan and didn't deviate.

Time will tell if the plan was any good - but it felt better like this than in the past for sure.

Besides addressing tangibles like team speed in this draft, the Browns' picks seemed to have a common intangible - high character. The theme appeared to be to look for hard workers who had overcome adversity. Maybe this is how you change the perennial culture of losing. It's worth a try.

I'm not sure I agree with you about Kessler, but that was a good post.

Both guys have an incredible stat sheet.

Kessler is 4th all time is USC passing yardage and 3rd all time USC passing TDs despite only starting 3 years. Problem is, the other leaders are Barkley, Leinart, and Palmer. Palmer is obviously the only one out of that group that is good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USC_Trojans_football_statistical_leaders#Passing_touchdowns

Scooby Wright in 2014 had what is considered the best statistical season even for a linebacker in college football:

163 tackles, 29 TFL, 14 sacks, and 6 FF.

http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careerplayer

Wright's stats came largely from Arizona's attacking scheme, that basically just shoots everyone through a gap. It's a very "feast or famine" way to do it, but he played it very effectively in 2014. Watching him I thought he was out of position to make a play too much but it looked like all the AZ defenders were doing the same thing and it might have been the scheme.

Oh, I agree w/that. No doubt.

I guess I focused too much on the SPARQ thing.

I don't see either of those guys as being known for their athleticism. LOL

Special teams maybe?

Don't doubt Scooby. It makes Scooby angry. You won't like Scooby when he's angry.

The great white hope(hype)

overall I'm pleased that the FO had (and executed) a plan: to infuse the roster with as many high character, motivated, fast, athletic people as possible (with a focus on WR and pass rush)

we can all debate who we don't like ... for me it's Kessler, Loius, and Devalve (all too much of a reach IMO)

but I do think we're a better team now than we were Wednesday

I agree with several other posters...it seems the FO had a plan and stuck with it. Where I think they had to switch to plan B was in round 1 & 2. With the number of DE's and WR's taken I am pretty convinced their Plan A pick was to take a pass rushing DE at 8 and WR at 32. As both Buckner & Bosa were gone plan B was to trade down, take the WR and then take the DE at 32. I'm also pretty sure, given what Elliott was wearing on Thursday that he knew Dallas were taking him. Powder blue and silver? Yea, he knew. Also, as we didn't take a RB and Hue says that wasn't an area of concern this year, then it renders Elliott out of the picture. But, who knows.

Draft wise, the theme that comes up over and over are high character players (All Americans) who have been productive. Positive character, mental toughness and good production is exactly what this team needs. I will admit I don't know every player we grabbed but, since reading about them it appears they all fall into that mold.

There were some definite headscratchers...the obvious one for me is Kessler. I was hoping for Hogan and never once considered or thought about Kessler. That said, I think mgh888 summed it up well - at 93 or 123...is it that much of a difference? That said, will all these picks be a hit? Probably not. But, with 14 they should have at least hit on a few gems. Also, maybe the plan is to see how RG3 does and if it doesn't go to plan then with all the picks next year we could easily move up to 1, if we aren't already at the 1st pick, and take the best QB (assuming it will be Clemson kid).

Also, I am one to see the whole picture and proof before dismissing a plan or a player. Call me naive but, I do put trust and faith into Hue and co. Who am I, a fan, to question the plan or player before they are given the time to prove their worth? These are folks whose profession is football. The amount of research and knowledge that goes into a draft board is huge. Hue knows far more than I do and if he says "trust me on this pick" then I think he deserves the respect to do just that. I know some will immediately point at past coaches and regime failures but, at some point you have to move forward. The amount of experience on the coaching staff and in the draft room is significant in comparison to the last few years and I don't think decisions were made lightly or flippantly. The current coaching regime too need to be given the time to prove themselves. Will it be an immediate turn around like Reid to KC? Probably not, but who knows? Different sport but look at the Portland Trailblazers. They were expected to be the worst in the West and one of the worst in the league. They gutted their team last off season. Several key vets were either released or walked as FA's. They went in the direction of youth and a mindset to rebuild for the future. Nobody expected much of them yet, they are now in the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs. So, if you have the right coaches, the right players and chemistry...anything can happen. If we set that bar more realistically...6 or 7 wins and a defense in the teens would be a fab start given where we were in January. Add all our picks in the 2017 draft, including two 1st and two 2nd round picks we are hopefully set on a 3 year plan to have this thing truly turned around.

jc...

Just watched the Depodesta/Jackson and Berry/Brown pressers. I have no idea if any of this is going to work, but they are collectively a very impressive group of four individuals.

Honestly, I like what the team did. If you consider our approach to free agency and the voids that resulted from that approach this draft is a decent start to Jackson's "reboot". I like to focus on players with documented production. I like the balance of offensive and defensive selections. I like that almost every unit of the team had at least one player added.

I wished to CB position had received more attention. I'm taking a wait and see attitude about to the Kessler pick and if I wanted to be critical for the sake of it I'd complain about the RB position not being address. But since I don't think we're in bad shape at running back AND I think Coleman and Drango can help us there I'm not fretting that omission.

A great and simple approach would be to use the stats & numbers to set your order/priorities.... then you use that list to guide the scouts on who to look at. Start at the top of the list and work your way down; see if the scouts eyes back up what the stats/numbers say. If so, that guy is good to go.

It lets the scouts focus their efforts a whole lot better, for sure.

I get the feeling they didn't want Bosa or Buckner. If they did, they could have stayed at 2 and gotten either one.

No, I think they had it in there head they wanted a WR and they wanted Coleman and realized (smartly) that he'd be there when they picked at 15. I firmly believe that if the Browns hadn't take Coleman, Treadwell and Doctson would have been picked before him. Just my guess.

I'd agree that we wanted a WR as early as possible ... but media reports said Hue was upset when Buckner was picked at 7 FWIW ... I think we wanted him because we clearly targeted pass rush.

When Buckner came off the board we switched our focus to drafting WR/playmaker first and then DE/Pass rush next ... flip flopped it

Overall I think it was a pretty good draft. Not really what I expected, but that might be a good thing.

Coleman was the first surprise. I kept hearing about Hue liking bigger receivers, so hadn't looked at Coleman much. He is explosive and we definitely needed playmakers. He's not the biggest guy, but he is physical. You've got to be doing something right when you average 1.7 TDs a game.

Ogbah fits Horton's big guys who can run. He has all the tools with length and speed and power. If we can improve his consistency and diversify his pass rush moves we could have something. He does fit our need of an improved pass rush.

I wasn't a big Nassib fan as an OLB. But, Berry indicated he'd be an interior guy. He has the frame to add some more weight and he does have a great motor and work ethic. Could he develop into a Calais Campbell type guy down the road? I'm not sure, but I don't think it is impossible.

Shon Coleman wasn't high on my list, but clevesteve mentioned him fairly often. I wasn't a fan of the system he was in at Auburn, but he does have some tools. LeCharles Bentley compared his nasty streak to Willie Roaf on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/olineworld65/status/670759344422563840



Cody Kessler was another surprise. Immediately after the pick I was watching this year's tape and started taking shots. It was pretty bad. I've watched 2014 film since then and it looks a lot better. Hopefully Hue knows what he's doing.

Joe Schobert was another guy I wasn't very high on. Seemed a bit too finesse to me. But since we already have Ogbah, I like this a bit more. He is very active and around the ball a lot. We have some guys to replace on special teams and I think he could be a core guy there in addition to providing some pass rush in certain situations.

Ricardo Louis I hadn't watched much. I was annoyed that we didn't take Higgins, but I guess that worked out anyway. We do need to replace Benjamin in the return game. He seems to be good on deep routes and RAC. Will need some development in his routerunning and to improve his focus on the easy catches. Seems to be another team first guy, though, and seems to be a guy who will put in the work.

Kindred was on my sleeper list, though I was surprised we took him this early. I won't complain, though. Has great intangibles, measurables and scheme flexibility. Can play FS, SS, and sub package nickel LB. Should be a stud on special teams. Can add the intimidation factor that Whitner was supposed to. Tough dude and his play should improve now that he won't be playing through a broken collarbone.

Seth DeValve was a head scratcher. I go pretty deep into the draft and I'd never heard of the guy. However, he does have pretty crazy athletic measurables and seems to have solid hands. Looks like Eifert on paper. Dealt with injuries during his college career, but his athleticism is supposedly improved after a couple of surgeries. We'll have to wait and see, but he's at least interesting.

Jordan Payton is a solid receiver. Nothing jumps out at you, but no real weaknesses. Heard a Hines Ward comp, and if he blocks like that will be a great addition.

Spencer Drango not the greatest workouts but gets the job done. If his back holds up, he could be a steal. We needed line depth. Has the size to road grade. Hopefully he can get with Bentley and improve his body/technique. He has the intensity I like.

Rashard Higgins was a guy I wanted in the 4th. Not the greatest physical specimen, but gets the job done. I like the variety we added to our receiver room. We should be able to exploit different matchups.

Trey Caldwell I hadn't heard of. Still don't know much about him. He has some solid highlights, but he is awfully small.

Scooby Wright wasn't a guy I liked when he was projected to go a lot higher. At this point you can't really complain though. Should be a nice special teams guy, and maybe he can continue to play better than he measures.

Overall we addressed needs at impact positions. Some of the guys may take a little time to develop. If they pan out this could be a great draft. If they flame out it could be terrible. We'll see which way it goes. With the quantity of picks it will probably land somewhere in the middle. I do like the intangibles that I'm seeing, maybe that helps the odds.

After watching the press conferences of the top brass and the draft picks, I truly get a different sense for the future. Maybe I read it wrong, but these kids really seem to be excited to be Cleveland Browns. Or, maybe, I'm just looked through rose colored glasses and I'm completely off base. But, seeing that this FO had a plan, stuck to it and feels like we are moving toward a better organization with confidence makes me have a new outlook. I really can't wait to see how this plays out on the field. I'm hopeful that with Hue Jackson and all of this high character youth that it translates into something better than 3-13.

It is the first time in many years that I was not screaming mad at the picks. If I can nit pick, too many receivers, no Running back and Kessler should have been drafted later.

I see a lot of role players and backups. A mix of pure projects (Coleman, Louis) or maxed out overachievers (Kessler, Schobert, Nassib). They took a Princeton TE in the 4th round that wasn't even ranked on a top 1000 prospect list (cbs). That was a first.

Trading down and collecting picks can work, but you have to make the picks count and have a feel for value. I believe the new Browns FO failed at both. Not sure what the plan was, but drafting 4 WR pretty much guarantees 1-2 of them being cut again, inlcuding 4th/5th round investments, which negates the trade down strategy right after the draft. Why not a RB or FB with one of those picks?


2-3 years from now half these guys will be out of the league and we'll look to upgrade the other half that remains on the roster as backups/ST. The best talant they got was the CB from the Dolphins for the 7th round swap. Jamar Taylor's tape from 2013 sure beats anything I saw from any of the 14 Browns picks.

Huge disappointment. The only saving grace may be that this class as a whole was rather weak compared to the past two. So once again the positives are the future picks gained. There will always be next draft, yay.

If half of these guys are out of the league, that means we would still have 7 on the team still contributing.

Hell, even if only 5 of these guys are contributing, and 3 are starters, that's a very good draft.

I think 80% of Farmer's picks are still on the roster 2 years later. Problem is, none of them makes a difference because the majority are backup or role player material.

Some of these 2016 guys will stick for several years in the league, I have little doubt about that. Fine players with good work ethic etc. But they will end up more in the Kirksey/Carder range on a roster. The only difference they make is between going 2-3 wins or 4-5 wins maybe. Doesn't really matter.

I think the Eagles read this draft class well. Wentz was a 1-1 talent...at QB. The rest of the class was mostly "meh". Now, there's always risk involved with QBs, but they took it because even a 25% chance of getting it right with Wentz is worth more than getting a handful of average at best talents.

We'll see in time if they made the best of it. Again, reports aside, if they wanted Bosa or Buckner, they could have had either at 2. SO, I'm questioning the media reports a little there.

Then they could have packaged their second this year and one of their 1st next year and moved up to get a WR. Any one of them.

So I guess I'm not buying in that they wanted Buckner or Bosa.

You can't change a culture of losing with players with weak minds and no love for the game. We took high character players with an incredible desire to succeed. (we had a similar approach with last years class as well) I think this group blends in well with what we drafted last year and really creates great opportunity.


1 (15) (from Los Angeles via Tennessee) Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
I like my receivers that are fast moving TE's lol. I like the big guys like Treadwell, but there wasnt a lot of those in this draft. Coleman however has 20 tds. My comparison is to Randall Cobb. I think he is a more refined receiver than Cobb was at the same stage but once the kid gets the ball in his hands, he knows what to do with it. With the new emphasis of no touching receivers, there is a place for these smaller receivers if they can get deep. At the end of the day we added a multitude of picks and took the #1 receiver on our board.
B+ for the Bilitnikov Award Winner


2 (32) Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
The fact the Browns had a mid first grade on him is very surprising to say the least. I dont see him as a linebacker but an Armonty Bryant clone that will be moved in and out. He doesnt fit the goes hard every down mold the Browns were shooting for however. He was a mid 2nd talent and there were better pass rushers on the board but when he wanted to the kid was a beast but there just didnt seem to be the consistency with this young man. C+ and I like the kid but he is gonna have to fight for playing time.

3 (65) Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State
He will be your pass rushing OLB in this scheme. This is what he does he gets after the QB. Not a strong powerful kid but he has amazing burst around the edge. Big 10 defensive player of the year that just began to hit his stride in his senior year. This is a huge kid 6 ft 7 with long arms with all the upside you want in a player.
B

3 (76) (from Los Angeles via Tennessee) Shon Coleman, OT, Auburn
Yes i am biased when it comes to Auburn offensive lineman but this kid can be a monster RT in this league. Long Arms, frankenstein hand strength, he gets his paws on you and you are either redirected or tossed on your ass. doesnt have the great feet for LT but he can be our maulting RT for the next 10 years or 4 years if we fail to resign another stud tackle lol This was the #1 RT on my board.
A+

3 (93) Cody Kessler, QB, USC
I thought it was a horrible reach pick but you know when you have 14 picks and a coach loves a QB u can get late 3rd you take him. Kessler has a stronger arm than he has been given credit for but its not a strong arm. I like the comparison to Drew Brees. Tremendously accurate but never really wowed me with his throws.
I give it a C- as in we gotta wait and see but it made the coach happy.

4 (99) Joe Schobert, OLB, Wisconsin
big 10 linebacker of the year I believe he is an inside backer in this defense. he plays well in traffic but he has to learn to wrap. I really like this pick a lot kid is a good Craig Robertson replacement. Would like to see him add another 10 pounds and focus on being that stud inside backer. He has it in him to do so. I just dont like him on the outside at all. Once that tackle paws him up, its over for him.
B-


4 (114) Ricardo Louis, WR, Auburn
Kid is an explosive playmaker but i had him as a late 6. every receiver we drafted after him is better than him. The potential is there however for greatness. This kid learns to catch the easy passes and he is a star. if not he is out of the league but I can see him returning punts and kicks and earning his spot as a special teamer as he learns the nuances of the game. this was an Al Saunders type of project as he has freakish talent but nothing is refined with raw hands, raw routes.
C

4 (129) (from Carolina) Derrick Kindred, S, TCU
Love the pick. he is a play in forward in the box safety that can provide help in coverage but isnt a great cover guy. A bit of a TJ Ward type of safety. He will lay the lumber. He will have tough competition in Cooper however as Cooper has better natural instincts for the position.
B

4 (138) Seth Devalve, WR/TE, Princeton
didnt know much about the guy but from what I see, the guy catches everything thrown his way. Injuries a major concern here damn he has fantastic hands and pretty good speed for a man his size. I cant argue with it but does anyone take him if we dont? Again, love what i see but it was a reach here. Injuries, projection and level of competition says this was a D-. He just didnt play enough to warrant a 4th.
D-

5 (154) (from Oakland) Jordan Payton, WR, UCLA
The thing that jumps out at me when i watch Payton is body position and hands. he comes to the ball. he keeps his body between the ball and the defender. I like this type of receiver in the slot. He is a pure safety valve for any QB. I see potential to be more than just a possession guy but he needs to learn to get off press consistently.
B-

5 (168) (from Carolina) Spencer Drango, OT, Baylor
Ok this was a steal. This is a 3rd rounder but he blocked in the spread and no one wants to touch these guys anymore. I dont see him as a tackle but a big mean nasty RG in the Andre Smith mold. My kind of OL.
A-

5 (172) Rashard Higgins, WR, Colorado State
HOORAYYY for HOLLYWOOD I like the kid a lot. I think he has a knack for the position. He doesnt look fast but then you see him breaking open against fast corners. His routes look lazy until he makes a tight cut and has 3 yards of separation. Great hands and a serious attitude towards being the best.
I had an early 3rd on Higgins and thought he had a shot to go late 2nd. This is a steal imho very underrated talent.
A++

5 (173) Trey Caldwell, CB, Louisiana-Monroe
Caldwell i only know by rep havent watched anything on him. From what I am hearing small slot corner at this level, tough will stick his nose in there but he has tremendous recovery skills and is pesky as hell. Can be a day 1 contributor as your slot DB.
incomplete

7 (250) Scooby Wright III, ILB, Arizona
Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner in the 7th round enough said. This was a steal. Some guys get by on being bigger or faster and some guys get by having great instincts and great preparation. Scooby has that Troy P instinct for the snap. He anticipates plays better than anyone in this draft. This is a kid that I see as a Zach Thomas/Elvis dummerville type of player. Phyisically does nothign that stands out but at the end of the day, he spent as much time in the backfield as your RB. The kid plays fast. Football IQ, Football Instincts
A+ We take this guy in the 3rd I would not have minded it.

At the end of the Day, we attacked this draft with production, character and freakish athleticism in mind. We added brutality to the right side of our line and that fits what Hal hunter wants. Very powerful right side to go with the skill on our left side.

We Added talent to our front 7 that can attack the pocket and that fits what Horton wants to do in this scheme. These guys all have the ability to make plays in the backfield. TFL and sacks are the theme for our defensive draft.

We added some depth to the secondary but I wasnt a big fan of this secondary class so I think we made the most of it.

We added touchdown makers to the receiver corps. There wasnt any of my kind of receivers in this draft but we got the most out of it.

I have no idea whether these guys will have immediate impact or not but this was an intriguing draft and I felt it actually ties in a great deal with what Farmer did last year. We have some quality kids that you want to root for and that in itself makes this a pretty good draft.

I'm ok with that.

I think we all are

LOL..........they are probably okay w/that, too. They might get to play for a team that can actually win games.

Mac I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with you.

j/c

I think the first three picks were pretty strong. You can make the case that there may have been better picks available, but I don't see any of those picks as reaches.

After that it gets a little iffy. But like I said pre draft, when you go for bodies in a draft that will happen.

I see the Cody Kessler pick as quite a reach when so many players were rated ahead of him and his availability was almost certain later in the draft. The value at the pick looked poor at best.

Ricardo Louis was a total head scratching moment. Once again there were so many players that would have better served our team at this position in the draft I can't view this as a good pick.

Those were the two I see no excuse for. Now considering we had 14 picks, that's not something to scream about. I find it funny how some wish to uphold every pick this FO makes. To me that's pure foolishness. But overall, I don't believe they had a bad draft. I would call it middle of the road at best.

I believe we did upgrade the WR position and a better pass rush. Those were two glaring weaknesses. I still don't perceive that we got any more than two possible impact players in this draft at best.

I believe it's important to consider that this was the first draft that this FO has conducted. If they did even an average job in their first draft, it will only get better from here.

Agreed Pit ... hated Kessler and Louis (in general, not to mention how early).

Was iffy with Ogbah and Devalve.

Really liked both Colemans, Scooby, Payton, Higgins, and Drango

Kessler could have been had later that is my biggest problem with him

Louis is the one pick I really hate regardless of where he was chosen.

Ogbah - I would have gone with Spence over him.

The rest I like in varying degrees DeValve was a head scratcher as was the small corner whose name escapes me.

quote above by Pit:

"If they did even an average job in their first draft, it will only get better from here"

Right.

If they did "an average job" with this year's picks, they actually had a great draft considering those extra high picks next year.

Geez, great, now I can't wait for the 2017 draft.

Only 31,104,766 seconds to go. (really)

Here's a question. Would we rather have:

Coleman (WR) and Ogbah (DE)
Buckner (DE) and Shepard (WR)

I like what we have besides we can't swap them now ...

I thought it was a good draft for us especially considering it was the 1st for our new FO. I watched the pressers and there seems to be enthusiasm and confidence that was lacking in the past. They seem to want to be here and let's hope that it infects the players too. What they did this draft the moves they made sets us up for next year too.