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2020 Draft Prospects Thread

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Who's the sixth generational talent in your eyes? Yanda?

Because, to me, the next best player in that draft may have been Jon Beason. Completely underrated MLB. One of the best.

Don't forget about Steve Smith or Ryan Kalil.

Oh, and Le'Ron McClain was the best blocking FB in the league for a long freaking time as well.
I was thinking Yanda, but also Lynch. I totally forgot about Beason, geez. That draft was stacked. I think you can make an argument that, on top of the five you listed, Yanda, Lynch, Beasson, Weddle, Khalil, Smith, and McClain ranged between elite-to-generational talents. That is twelve guys that were at the top of their game for extended periods of time.
 
I was thinking Yanda, but also Lynch. I totally forgot about Beason, geez. That draft was stacked. I think you can make an argument that, on top of the five you listed, Yanda, Lynch, Beasson, Weddle, Khalil, Smith, and McClain ranged between elite-to-generational talents. That is twelve guys that were at the top of their game for extended periods of time.
So, next best that wasn't mentioned? I'm between Joe Staley and Paul Posluszny. But, you still have Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley (crazy the Steelers got both these guys in the same draft), then the safety group of LaRon Landry, Michael Griffin, Reggie Nelson and Brandon Meriweather. Don't forget that Ben Grubbs was a really good guard for a while too.
 
The draft also had others who were long-time pro-bowlers in Marshawn Lynch, Greg Olson, Eric Weddle, Marshal Yanda, and the great Nick Folk (the last one is a joke).

That draft had six guys who were generational talents, three that were multi-time pro-bowlers who teams had to gameplan for over a substantial number of years, and 25 other players that made at least one pro-bowl.

It is the NFL's 1984 NBA draft. Just elite of elite.
I still think that draft class may have been the best in the modern NFL in terms of elite football talent.

All of these players were the best player in the league at their position for a long time:

RB: Adrian Peterson
WR: Calvin Johnson
OL: Joe Thomas
LB: Patrick Willis
CB: Darrelle Revis

That's just crazy.

And the Raiders managed to blow their top pick on JaMarcus. :p

People have been understandably putting the 2014 draft on that level, also. We managed to squander both of our 1st round picks that year with Justin Gilbert and the cokehead, but essentially undid our mistakes with the Jarvis/OBJ acquisitions; I also firmly still believe that Ward is the anti-Gilbert and Baker is the anti-Johnny.
 
I think the above proposed trade up scenarios are borderline insane and also completely counter to any likely analytic input. Picks are to valuable to waste in order to trade up a handful of spots. I think a 3rd for Trent Williams is too much when coupled with a new contact demand. I hope we stay put, or trade down if a starting lineman can still be had and the draft ahead of us goes QB crazy.
Not saying any poster is insane, just highly unlikely to make a trade like this with the mgt team now in place.

Based on the way the Browns have handled this offseason, LT being their number one goal in the draft is a given. Now if something changes -- like they trade for Williams -- then perhaps perhaps not. Otherwise, drafting a blue chip LT is going to be Priority 1A.

The thing is...we fans don't know how the Browns have rated this crop of tackles in terms of their ability to play LT. We know what the pool of guys in consideration for that may be, but how Berry/Callahan see them may be quite different. For example, suppose they see only 2 blue chip LT's in this draft, one goes off the board at 4, and they think there's a good shot Arizona takes one at 8, leaving us out in the cold.

I agree that analytics generally argue against trading up. On the other hand...we don't have a left tackle, and the odds on us being able to pick up a blue-chipper down the road are slim. This may be the best shot we have in the next 5 years to get one. So I wouldn't be shocked to see a trade up, because I think it is that critical a need, and this is an opportunity that may not present itself again for a long time.

I suppose an alternative route may be that if the LT's are going off the board, the Browns may do a last-minute trade for Williams rather than burning assets to trade up. They'll then draft a second-tier LT and hope to coach him up. But Williams could be gone by then, or the asking price may be too high considering his demand for a new contract.
 
Based on the way the Browns have handled this offseason, LT being their number one goal in the draft is a given. Now if something changes -- like they trade for Williams -- then perhaps perhaps not. Otherwise, drafting a blue chip LT is going to be Priority 1A.

The thing is...we fans don't know how the Browns have rated this crop of tackles in terms of their ability to play LT. We know what the pool of guys in consideration for that may be, but how Berry/Callahan see them may be quite different. For example, suppose they see only 2 blue chip LT's in this draft, one goes off the board at 4, and they think there's a good shot Arizona takes one at 8, leaving us out in the cold.

I agree that analytics generally argue against trading up. On the other hand...we don't have a left tackle, and the odds on us being able to pick up a blue-chipper down the road are slim. This may be the best shot we have in the next 5 years to get one. So I wouldn't be shocked to see a trade up, because I think it is that critical a need, and this is an opportunity that may not present itself again for a long time.

I suppose an alternative route may be that if the LT's are going off the board, the Browns may do a last-minute trade for Williams rather than burning assets to trade up. They'll then draft a second-tier LT and hope to coach him up. But Williams could be gone by then, or the asking price may be too high considering his demand for a new contract.

IMO, the fourth of the four tackles is Mekhi Beckton because he has a high ceiling but low floor. He is a mountain of a man and athletic, but technically he needs work and he has struggled with injuries. For some teams, they can take a big swing and miss. I don't know if that is the best move with what the Browns are assembling. All that being said, in other drafts he would be a lock to go in the top five rather than the fourth tackle.
 
IMO, the fourth of the four tackles is Mekhi Beckton because he has a high ceiling but low floor. He is a mountain of a man and athletic, but technically he needs work and he has struggled with injuries. For some teams, they can take a big swing and miss. I don't know if that is the best move with what the Browns are assembling. All that being said, in other drafts he would be a lock to go in the top five rather than the fourth tackle.

I tend to agree, and hope that the Giants see the run-blocking behemoth as a perfect complement to Barkley and so go in that direction. But how the Giants and Browns actually rank the top 4-5 OT is an unknown. That's why I could see a trade-up as a possibility -- we just don't know what our board actually looks like.
 
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IMO, the fourth of the four tackles is Mekhi Beckton because he has a high ceiling but low floor. He is a mountain of a man and athletic, but technically he needs work and he has struggled with injuries. For some teams, they can take a big swing and miss. I don't know if that is the best move with what the Browns are assembling. All that being said, in other drafts he would be a lock to go in the top five rather than the fourth tackle.
I've been lower on Becton than most.

For some reason, I'd still rather take him than Wills. I have Wirfs and Thomas at the top.
 
I've been lower on Becton than most.

For some reason, I'd still rather take him than Wills. I have Wirfs and Thomas at the top.

The only risk I see with Wills is that he needs to get used to the left side. As a former basketball player, he has all the fluidity needed to switch to the left. He played the right because he has special aggression in the run game to go along with that agility. Considering where the Browns are selecting, I am hopeful they remain flexible and stay at #10, unless they uncover some huge red flag nobody is talking about.
 
Becton is so hard to figure out. On one hand, he has experience in a heavy play-action, zone-blocking offense at Louisville. On the other, he has technical issues that make me wonder how good he can be at left tackle during the first year. His size and strength, though, are out of this world.

He will be a good run blocker from day one. I just question his ability in pass protection, especially when he needs to advance past the LoS in zone-blocking, play-action plays. The important thing in this offensive scheme is to make run and pass plays look identical. Becton's lack of refined technique make it so he is an easy sell.


 
There's just no realistic scenario where the Browns trade up from 10 IMO. Just doesn't appear to fit their agenda whatsoever.

I think Wirfs is No. 1 on their board though with trade back No. 2 on their list of preferred outcomes.
 
I suppose an alternative route may be that if the LT's are going off the board, the Browns may do a last-minute trade for Williams rather than burning assets to trade up. They'll then draft a second-tier LT and hope to coach him up. But Williams could be gone by then, or the asking price may be too high considering his demand for a new contract.


Which is what I was thinking if that happened, do we either A) trade down and still take a LT in Austin Jackson to sit behind Williams or B) keep it and still take BPA?

In my earlier post I just didn't know if anyone saw a possibility of holding onto #10 and then using our extra pick + others or futures to trade up back into 2nd or late-1st to take ____________ (fill in).
 
Here is an interesting name... Kenny Robinson Jr.

Kenny was the starting free safety at West Virginia during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. During those two seasons, he allowed a 43.4% catch rate and totaled 12 combined interceptions and pass breakups, including a 36% catch rate and 4 interceptions during his last year.

Unfortunately, after his second year at WVU, he was dismissed for academic cheating. Rather than transferring, he got a job and also joined the XFL to take care of his mother who has cancer.

He continued his play during the first four games in the XFL - he did not allow a catch that went beyond ten yards and had two interceptions.

There are a few problems with him as a prospect:

1) Obviously had personal issues that resulted in him getting kicked out of college.
2) He is not a good tackler. He missed 17% of his tackles at WVU and 17.4% in the XFL.
3) At West Virginia, he played in a three-safety scheme with two high-safeties - something he will never see in the NFL. Coverage schemes in the XFL made him a single-high safety.

It seems like he will be a later day three pick. My guess is 5th round or lower. Kenny is clearly a project and someone who will not be ready to play this year. Still, he seems like a guy that the Browns should look at as a developmental prospect.

 
Here is a guy that analytics people seem to love, but that others think is a very raw defensive tackle with poor technique. In 2019, on 290 pass-rush snaps, he had 34 pressures or got pressure on 12% of defensive snaps. On 274 run defense snaps, he only had 22 run stops, and this is his weakest area to me.

I think Elliot is probably a pass-rush specialist on the defensive line. He has incredibly active hands and an elite first step but does not process the run game nearly quickly enough.

He is a guy I think the Browns will look at in the middle rounds. Ogunjobi has been a disappointing pass rusher the past two years, Richardson will likely be gone next season, and DeVaroe Lawrence was pathetic. A good pass-rushing interior lineman is something that is a need for the Browns.


 

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