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2020 Draft Prospects Thread

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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.

Keys, thanks to you, JKing, CBBI, and whoever else I'm forgetting for the high level of discussion here lately. It's made sheltering in place a bit more tolerable.

My question for the brain trust (as a Mostly Ignorant Schmoe when it comes to college FB): what are the knocks against Thomas? It seems like he's the prospect with the most LT experience and the longest track record of success, yet he seems to be lost in the shuffle a bit with Wirfs, Becton, and Wills getting more attention lately. Is it simply a case of a prospect getting more nits picked the longer he is on the radar screen?

Also: where does Josh Jones rank in this discussion? I could definitely see a scenario where the FO has Jones ranked on a par with some of those other guys, either leading them to make the surprise pick of Jones at 10, or trading down, picking up another early-round pick or two, and hoping to still get their guy.
 
My question for the brain trust (as a Mostly Ignorant Schmoe when it comes to college FB): what are the knocks against Thomas? It seems like he's the prospect with the most LT experience and the longest track record of success, yet he seems to be lost in the shuffle a bit with Wirfs, Becton, and Wills getting more attention lately. Is it simply a case of a prospect getting more nits picked the longer he is on the radar screen?

I believe he is much higher on the Browns list than others. We are talking about a guy with the longest arms, the most experience on the left, and a guy who I'm sure Nick Chubb has talked to the front office about. Thomas improved his stock a little this past season, but he was supposed to be the runaway best tackle. Other guys made huge jumps while he marginally improved.

The toughest question this draft will be: "Does this guy love the game of football?" The reason the Browns blew the stacked 2015 draft was they took two guys - Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel - who kind of liked working out, having money and fame, but didn't love football. Without extensive interviews, they need some strong recommendations to put one guy over another. I think the Browns can trust what Nick Chubb is going to say about a college teammate.
 
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.
If they only have two tackles rated high enough to choose at 10, then they must be making some serious alternative plans as it would be pretty likely they could both go in the first nine. I wonder if Peters. could be a better stop gap if they feel we will be drafting a project. A Berry connection at work, maybe. But I think it's more likely they rate the tackle class higher. With three experienced hands on the line already, it seems like a perfect time to add a rookie. I like Thomas above all, and Becton the least of the main four. Jones, Jackson, and Cleveland probably end the list of possible starters.
 
Keys, thanks to you, JKing, CBBI, and whoever else I'm forgetting for the high level of discussion here lately. It's made sheltering in place a bit more tolerable.

My question for the brain trust (as a Mostly Ignorant Schmoe when it comes to college FB): what are the knocks against Thomas? It seems like he's the prospect with the most LT experience and the longest track record of success, yet he seems to be lost in the shuffle a bit with Wirfs, Becton, and Wills getting more attention lately. Is it simply a case of a prospect getting more nits picked the longer he is on the radar screen?

Also: where does Josh Jones rank in this discussion? I could definitely see a scenario where the FO has Jones ranked on a par with some of those other guys, either leading them to make the surprise pick of Jones at 10, or trading down, picking up another early-round pick or two, and hoping to still get their guy.
I believe he is much higher on the Browns list than others. We are talking about a guy with the longest arms, the most experience on the left, and a guy who I'm sure Nick Chubb has talked to the front office about. Thomas improved his stock a little this past season, but he was supposed to be the runaway best tackle. Other guys made huge jumps while he marginally improved.

The toughest question this draft will be: "Does this guy love the game of football?" The reason the Browns blew the stacked 2015 draft was they took two guys - Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel - who kind of liked working out, having money and fame, but didn't love football. Without extensive interviews, they need some strong recommendations to put one guy over another. I think the Browns can trust what Nick Chubb is going to say about a college teammate.
My guess is Josh Jones is much higher on the Browns' list than people think. He is a perfect fit for a zone-blocking scheme and ready to play at left tackle right away.

Is he as high as the other four for the Browns? Probably not.

I agree with Keys, though. I think the Browns offensive linemen big board probably looks like:

1a) Andrew Thomas
1b) Tristan Wirfs
-------------------------
2) Jedrick Wills
3a) Mekhi Becton
3b) Josh Jones
--------------------------
4) Ezra Cleveland


I think that if the first two are off the board by #10, the Browns probably at least look towards trading down, but only so far as they can grab one of the three in the tier below. If the Browns do not get one of the six listed, though, I think they will internally view the draft as a failure.
 
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.
At least in 2007 we grabbed one of the legends.

2014 was a pretty dam good draft in its own right:

With out 1st pick, we could have had our choice of : Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Jake Matthews, OBJ, Zack Martin, or Taylor Lewan

With our second pick, our choice of: Dee Ford, DeMarcus Lawrence, Teddy Bridgewater.

Of course we ended up with Justin and Johnny, two of the biggest busts of the 21st century.
Justin Gilbert pick is so infuriating because literally the THREE guys picked before him(who we could have had w out the trade back) and NINE consecutive guys picked after him all made Pro Bowls.

Its insane how much the 2014 and 2015 drafts set us back.

But bygones, right?
 
At least in 2007 we grabbed one of the legends.

2014 was a pretty dam good draft in its own right:

With out 1st pick, we could have had our choice of : Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Jake Matthews, OBJ, Zack Martin, or Taylor Lewan

With our second pick, our choice of: Dee Ford, DeMarcus Lawrence, Teddy Bridgewater.

Of course we ended up with Justin and Johnny, two of the biggest busts of the 21st century.
Justin Gilbert pick is so infuriating because literally the THREE guys picked before him(who we could have had w out the trade back) and NINE consecutive guys picked after him all made Pro Bowls.

Its insane how much the 2014 and 2015 drafts set us back.

But bygones, right?
Right now, the Austin Corbett pick is the most irritating to me. With the 33rd pick in 2018, to draft a guy most pundits had moving to an interior line position was silly, we had Zeitler, Tretter, and Bitonio. In the Browns defense, there were only four linemen drafted in the second round, and only one tackle. Will Hernandez taken at 34 was a better prospect, but wouldn't have made a difference two years ago. It was slim pickings at OL in that draft, especially after the 1st round.
 
At least in 2007 we grabbed one of the legends.

2014 was a pretty dam good draft in its own right:

With out 1st pick, we could have had our choice of : Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Jake Matthews, OBJ, Zack Martin, or Taylor Lewan

With our second pick, our choice of: Dee Ford, DeMarcus Lawrence, Teddy Bridgewater.

Of course we ended up with Justin and Johnny, two of the biggest busts of the 21st century.
Justin Gilbert pick is so infuriating because literally the THREE guys picked before him(who we could have had w out the trade back) and NINE consecutive guys picked after him all made Pro Bowls.

Its insane how much the 2014 and 2015 drafts set us back.

But bygones, right?

Just trying to be clear here, you are saying Justin and Johnny were bad picks?
 
Small thing, but it might matter:

Cardinals re-signed Marcus Gilbert. Might mean they don't go tackle in round one.

Agreed -- Although they may end up trading down to a team that wants one.
 
The more I've watched of Chinn, the more I agree. He would be a great second round pick to bring up behind Sendejo. It might take him a few months to acclimate, but he is built like Derwin James.

Sure, I like Chinn. I'm not sure he'll be half of what James is, though. I think he'll be a good in the box type safety but his value has skyrocketed and I cannot abide anymore.

For instance:

 
Sure, I like Chinn. I'm not sure he'll be half of what James is, though. I think he'll be a good in the box type safety but his value has skyrocketed and I cannot abide anymore.

For instance:

This safety draft is just really deep. I would not be surprised to see the Browns draft two safeties in the first four rounds.
 
This safety draft is just really deep. I would not be surprised to see the Browns draft two safeties in the first four rounds.

They probably should.

At the very least, I expect a safety and a nickle in the first 4 rounds.

(I also don't think they are going to take a linebacker very high.)
 
This safety draft is just really deep. I would not be surprised to see the Browns draft two safeties in the first four rounds.

I'm not sure on this safety class yet. Last year, there were really only three solid safeties: Thornhill, Savage and Gardner-Johnson. Tyler Rapp ended up a linebacker. Last year, I talked myself into safeties because they were top five in the draft class, while the draft class itself wasn't very good. One reason I see Chinn rising is because this draft doesn't have many sure things either at safety.
 

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