After adding six key players on defense in free agency, what does GM Andrew Berry do for an encore in the draft? (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from the Browns’ draft situation four days before the big event …
The answer is Jaycee Horn.
The question: Which player in the draft would be the best catch for the Browns, the one who would cap off a super-productive transaction season and move them one player closer to the Super Bowl?
So here’s the problem: The long and feisty cornerback, a three-year starter at South Carolina, has probably “risen” higher than any defensive player since the pre-draft season began in January.
Horn, son of former NFL receiver Joe Horn, put seven SEC games in the vault in 2020 before opting out, giving him 30 overall and 29 starts against the best offensive competition in college football in three seasons.
Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, who is considered the premier non-quarterback skill player in the draft, named Horn his toughest opponent in college. “Throughout the whole game, that was someone that wouldn’t let up,” Pitts said to the Dallas Cowboys official Website. “He has great fundamentals and great speed. So, you got to work to beat him.”
After an outstanding college career, Horn, who is 6-0 ¾ and 205 pounds, killed his pro day on March 29 – clocking 4.39 in 40, and reaching 41.5-in. in the vertical jump and 11 foot, 1 in. in the broad jump. That’s when the media caught up to him; hence, the rise.
Logic says that GM Andrew Berry’s uber-aggressive pursuit of talent to complete the overhaul of coordinator Joe Woods’ defense would continue on draft night. But Horn may be difficult for him to chase down.
ESPN’s Todd McShay and Dane Brugler of The Athletic rank Horn 14th on their big boards. Gil Brandt of nfl.com, aka the Godfather, ranks Horn 15th and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Horn 16th. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks him 18th.
Some mock drafts predict Horn coming off the board as early as No. 12 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
That’s interesting because Berry does have a cordial relationship with Eagles GM Howie Roseman, whom he considers a mentor after working alongside him in 2019. Even if Roseman would be willing to move down to No. 26, the price tag undoubtedly would be steep – perhaps second- and third-round picks.
That’s an expensive ticket for a cornerback, but I say it’s worth it.
Why cornerback?
The next-best cornerbacks would be Caleb Farley of Virginia Tech and Greg Newsome of Northwestern.
Farley was the top-ranked CB in the draft prior to having a second back procedure in three years in March (a microdiscectomy to relieve a herniated disc). Where Farley comes off the board is one of the draft’s bigger mysteries because of his back problem. If the Browns’ medics sign off on his condition, Farley would be a no-brainer selection at No. 26.
Newsome has benefitted from Farley’s seeming slide and is being mocked consistently now as the third cornerback in the draft, mostly to the Jets at No. 23.
Why is cornerback a Browns’ need?
Free agent pickup Troy Hill has been one of the NFL’s best at covering the inside receiver the past two seasons, so that is his earmarked position with the Browns. That leaves the outside starting spots to Denzel Ward, who has missed 11 games due to injury or Covid in three years, and Greedy Williams, who has missed 20 in two years, including all 16 last year due to a nerve condition in his right shoulder.
The Browns have reported consistently positive updates on Williams’ recovery, but always with the caveat, “He has a ways to go.”
When I asked Berry his comfort level of the depth at cornerback, he answered, “I feel good about the guys that we have. I feel good about Greedy’s progress, as well.”
In the context of another question, Berry said, “[Cornerback] is a position that you always want to be deep [at], no different than other positions we have discussed in past sessions. You can never have enough cover guys.”
Need v. ‘best player available’
Like everyone who’s occupied his GM chair before him, Berry stated the time-worn “you don’t draft for need” argument.
“I guess maybe two thoughts there,” Berry said. “Certainly, it is always nice when a particular need aligns with your draft slot. That being said [former NFL GM] Bill Polian used to always say, ‘Your needs today are not the same as your needs tomorrow.’ I have definitely found that to be true throughout my football career.
“Again, we really do not go into the mindset of ‘Hey, we have to fill a certain position or a certain position at this pick.’ It really is about maximizing long-term impact on the roster.”
On this point, the Browns would err if they reached for a cornerback with a mid- to late- second-round grade at No. 26. But moving up for any of the Big Four would certainly be merited.
Any potential starting cornerback would have a long-term impact on the roster, so that would meet Berry’s point.
Ward’s fifth-year option was picked up by the Browns on Friday. I’m wondering if the club waits to see his missed games decrease before investing in a new contract. And Williams, of course, is an uncertain commodity despite his second-round draft status in 2019. Hill will be 30 during the 2021 season and his contract is for two years with two voidable years.
So there is short-term and long-term need at the position.
If not a cornerback, then what?
Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore could be the highest-ranked defensive player at No. 26, if he slides that far, and would be my pick with the top four cornerbacks off the board.
Several edge rushers should be on the board at No. 26. But the Browns already have a young, developmental edge rusher – one with gaudier college statistics than the ones in this draft. He’s Curtis Weaver, who set the Mountain West Conference all-time sack record of 34 in three years with Boise State.
Weaver was waived-injured by the Dolphins after they drafted him in the fifth round and he suffered a toe injury in training camp last summer.
“He is a guy who we are certainly excited about coming into training camp, but Curtis is no different than really all of our young players – he has to earn a roster spot and earn a role,” Berry said. “We are excited to see when he hits the turf. We think he is a guy who has talent and can contribute.”
I don’t see an edge rusher at No. 26.
Linebacker?
After adding Colts free agent Anthony Walker, retaining Malcolm Smith, investing in third-round pick Jacob Phillips last year, seeing noticeable improvement in Sione Takitaki, and hoping Mack Wilson bounces back from a setback sophomore season … in addition to playing only two linebackers for, what, 40 percent of the time … count me in the group that doesn’t believe the Browns value the position enough to take one in the first round.
“I would not read too much into that. I would not let anything define us,” Berry said.
I’ll call that bluff.
The wild card: receiver
The analytics set, of which the Browns are a certifiable member, places an inflated premium on the receiver position.
The arguments to take a receiver at No. 26 are these:
-- The cap-inflated tandem of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. cannot be sustained after the Browns re-invest a mega-deal in quarterback Baker Mayfield.
-- Third and fourth receivers, Rashard Higgins and KhaDarel Hodge, are on one-year contracts.
-- The failure to possess and advance the ball with 5 minutes to play in the 22-17 divisional playoff loss to the Chiefs exposed the lack of speed and ability to break open at the Browns’ wideout position with Beckham sidelined.
-- This is another great draft for receivers and one deserving of the No. 26 pick will be on the board for the Browns to pick.
Interestingly, Berry was not asked about his thoughts on the position in his final media availability before the draft.
I was on deck for the next question when Berry’s Zoom conference was halted. My question was going to be: There’s a saying that if you stay the same in the NFL, you’re falling behind. You have not added a single player to the offense so far this transaction season. How is that side of the ball going to improve?
I expected him to answer: We’re not done yet.