Cleveland Browns Rookies Forecast

By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

Solid Starter

Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State – Round 1
The Browns had a big need at cornerback and added a plug-and-play starter in Ward. For the NFL, Ward is man-cover corner. He is very fast with quick feet, loose hips and easy acceleration. Ward’s skill set makes him superb at running the route with receivers to prevent separation. He is adept at playing off-man coverage and running with fast wideouts downfield. Ward is also reliable to handle the speed receivers in one-on-one coverage without needing safety help over the top. He transitions well in routes and will sit on routes to challenge receivers. Ward also possesses good ball skills with impressive timing on his contact and the hands to be an interception threat.

The one issue for Ward is size. The 5-foot-10, 183-pounder lacks the height to take on tall receivers and also doesn’t have a big frame to handle strength. Big wideouts can give him problems as they can box him out and make catches over him. Ward can’t do anything about his height, but he should gain more muscle to battle NFL wide receivers. It would be wise of Ward’s NFL team to protect him from matchups on bigger targets who can use their size to gain position and make receptions over Ward even though he is not allowing separation.

Because of the size issue, I think Ward will be a good NFL corner and a solid starter. He may not ever be an elite No. 1 cornerback because he will struggle with some big receivers. Ward is NFL ready, and I think he could be a quality starter as soon as his rookie season.

2017: David Njoku, TE
2016: Carl Nassib, DE
2015: Danny Shelton, DT
2014: Justin Gilbert, CB
2013: Leon McFadden, CB

Most Likely To Bust

Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida – Round 4
If it weren’t for off-the-field issues, Callaway would have been a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder combines superb speed, route-running and shiftiness. Staff at Florida and scouts in the NFL compared Callaway to Antonio Brown regularly. If Callaway had avoided trouble in college, he easily could have been the top wide receiver in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Throughout his time at Florida, Callaway had repeated off-the-field problems and was suspended for all of the 2017 season. He was facing felony fraud charges for allegedly transferring money from a stolen credit card before reportedly ending up in pre-trial diversion. Callaway also avoided charges and discipline from Florida after a rape allegation earlier in college. While he loves football, he has a lot of issues in terms of hanging out with bad influences, and teams are concerned about him consistently failing drug tests in the NFL.

The Browns are hoping that Callaway can learn from Josh Gordon and avoid the same pitfalls that took away prime years from Gordon’s career. However, I’m not convinced that Callaway can avoid off-the-field trouble and suspensions. I think there is a real possibility that he is a bust, but in the fourth round, he makes sense as a potentially huge boom pick for Cleveland.

2017: Jabrill Peppers, S
2016: Corey Coleman, WR
2015: Xavier Cooper, DT
2014: Christian Kirksey, LB
2013: Barkevious Mingo, LB

Potential Boom Pick

Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia – Round 2
The Browns entered the offseason needing more talent at running back, and they were able to draw on a strong running back class to finish off their re-modeled backfield. Carlos Hyde was a nice free agent signing, and he could be excellent running out of I-formation in Todd Haley’s offense. Chubb could be even better once he gets adjusted to the NFL. The talented, athletic Chubb has a ton of upside and could be a force behind Cleveland’s tough interior defensive line. Chubb also is landing with the best running backs coach in the NFL with Freddie Kitchens. With Kitchens and Haley guiding him, Chubb could be a boom pick for Cleveland.

If Chubb had not sustained a knee injury during his sophomore season (2015), he would have been a no-doubt first-round pick. Chubb dominated the SEC as a freshman, showing a rare combination of speed, power, and natural running ability. Even if he is only 90 percent of what he was, Chubb looks like a future starter in the NFL with the ability to be a steady motor for a rushing attack. He runs with excellent body lean and knee bend, and stays behind his pads. That ability to avoid running upright makes him very difficult to tackle, and he powers through many tackling attempts. Chubb is very skilled at breaking tackles with his power and also keeps his feet moving to churn out more yards after contact is initiated. Additionally, Chubb has a burst to hit the hole with a second gear to get to the second level.

Prior to his knee injury, Chubb was very fast and explosive. That could also be seen in him being a track star with an incredible vertical leap. Chubb was definitely faster in 2017 than he was in 2016, so perhaps he will get all the way back to his pre-injury form. Even if he doesn’t get all the way back, what Chubb is right now could be a good NFL running back to lead a tough rushing attack. The Browns plan a ground-based rushing attack, and I think Chubb has boom potential.

2017: Myles Garrett, DE
2016: Emmanuel Ogbah, DE
2015: Cam Erving, C
2014: Johnny Manziel, QB
2013: Jamoris Slaughter, S

Future Depth Player

Chad Thomas, DE, Miami – Round 3
The Browns have a lot of young edge-rushing talent with 2017 No. 1 overall-pick Myles Garrett, Emmanuel Ogbah, Nate Orchard and Carl Nassib. Thomas is fast at the point of attack and has length, twitchiness and natural strength with a good build. He looks like he should have dominated for Miami, but he never produced up to it, lacking instincts and consistency. Aside from his inconsistent and underachieving production, teams also wonder how long Thomas will want to play in the NFL as he is known as a star DJ in the Miami area with a future as a music producer. Thus, I think Thomas will be a quality depth defensive end and rotational player, but his lack of instincts, consistency, and dedication could lead to him topping out as a backup rather than being a starter. Still, Thomas could be a good backup for Cleveland.

2017: Larry Ogunjobi, DT
2016: Cody Kessler, QB
2015: Duke Johnson, RB
2014: Pierre Desir, CB
2013: Garrett Gilkey, OT

Walt’s 2018 NFL Draft Grades:

1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma C Grade
*** All reports indicate the Browns will select Baker Mayfield first overall, so I’m going to publish a grade for it. If Mayfield is not the pick, I’ll change this grade. ***

This “C” grade doesn’t have much to do with Mayfield, as it does the position Cleveland is selecting. The Browns are the first team since the 1992 Colts to have both the top pick and another choice in the top five. They have more top-five selections in this draft than wins over the past two years! They needed to do something special with this pick, and this is not it.

I really like Mayfield. He’s a great leader and a hard worker. He’s very accurate and mobile. He fits what the Browns want. However, the Browns legitimately liked three quarterbacks in this process. Considering the amount of time it took them to make this decision, there can’t have been much of a difference between Mayfield, Josh Allen and Sam Darnold. Thus, the correct move would have been selecting Saquon Barkley No. 1 overall. Barkley would have completely transformed Cleveland’s offense, much like Marshall Faulk did with the Rams in 1999. Passing on a special player like Barkley is a mistake.

There’s a very small chance Barkley will be available at No. 4 (the Giants will need to trade down or select a quarterback.) However, if the Browns take Barkley first, there’s a 100-percent chance one of their three preferred signal-callers would be available at the four spot. This would be a completely different situation if the Browns had, say, the first and ninth picks. They would absolutely have to take a quarterback in that scenario. But they’re in such a unique situation, and their inability to take advantage of it seems like an egregious error.

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4. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State D Grade
I have no problem with Bradley Chubb as a prospect. He should be terrific as a pro. The problem is financial. The Browns will have to give three $100 million contracts in five years. Thus, it made no sense for him to be the pick, so I’m not giving the Browns a “D” for Denzel Ward.

I like Ward as a prospect as well. My issue with this is that the Browns did not trade down. They had offers from the Bills, and they may have been able to take Ward at No. 4. Cleveland surrendered way too much value by not moving down.

33. Austin Corbett, C/G, Nevada B+ Grade
I like Austin Corbett, and I’m not sure he would’ve made it far in Round 2 had the Browns not taken him. He doesn’t fill an immediate need on the offensive line unless the Browns think he can play left tackle. Center J.C. Tretter didn’t perform very well last year, so Corbett is a solid option. Corbett, at the very least, will provide strong depth on the interior, as he can play all three positions. There’s a chance he could be the blind-side protector as well.

35. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia B Grade
There were better running backs available than Nick Chubb, including Derrius Guice and Ronald Jones, but Chubb is a fine selection at No. 35. The Browns had to add a running back to their backfield, as they won’t be able to rely on the injury-prone Carlos Hyde. I don’t have an issue with this pick, but the Browns could’ve done better.

67. Chad Thomas, DE, Miami D Grade
Chad Thomas has nice size, but is inconsistent, often looking clueless. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of a third-round pick. I thought Chad Thomas would go somewhere in Rounds 4-6, so this seems like a pretty egregious reach. It’s not a Millen, but it’s close.

105. Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida C+ Grade
The third day of the NFL Draft is a time to take risks, and that’s certainly what the Browns are doing here. Antonio Callaway is supremely talented, and he may have been a first-round pick if he were completely clean. However, he has major off-the-field issues. If he stays clean, he’ll be great. However, I don’t know if pairing him with Josh Gordon is the best idea.

150. Genard Avery, LB, Memphis B Grade
Mike Mayock mentioned that Genard Avery has a knee problem of some sort. This was news to me, but the Browns apparently aren’t too concerned. Avery was seen as a fourth-round prospect who would have to be limited to two downs because of his struggles in pass protection. He should be a force versus the run, however.

175. Damion Ratley, WR, Texas A&M B Grade
There were better receivers still available, but I think this is a decent pick. Damion Ratley is a quality route-runner who should be able to contribute sooner rather than later. This pick makes sense for the Browns.

188. Simeon Thomas, CB, Louisiana D Grade
The Browns have completely stumped me. I didn’t have Simeon Thomas in my top-600 rankings. We talk to several teams, and no one has ever mentioned him. This has to be a reach, or maybe the Browns have some super-secret intel no one else has.

2018 NFL Draft Team Grade: C+ . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.

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