Panthers coach Matt Rhule enters 2022 'on the hot seat.' A trade for Baker Mayfield would seem a better option for him than drafting a QB. (ESPN.com)
Draft takeaways: Panthers trade-down from No. 6 could eliminate Carolina as a Baker Mayfield destination
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Ten takeaways on NFL draft weekend …
1. A trade of Baker Mayfield to Carolina would appear to hinge on the Panthers NOT taking a quarterback on draft weekend. You wouldn’t expect the Panthers to use their first pick (No. 6 overall) on a quarterback because the consensus is none in this draft is worthy that high. And without another pick until the fourth round (137th overall), you might think the odds are good the Panthers would pass on a quarterback. However, there is the possibility the Panthers could trade down from No. 6 for the purpose of adding picks in the second and third rounds. That is their top priority. If they are successful in moving down, Carolina easily could justify selecting a quarterback later in the first round or even in the second round, and that might kill interest in dealing for Mayfield. The good news for the Browns is that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of buzz about teams wanting to move up. And if somebody does, the likeliest candidates to move down are teams with multiple high picks, such as the Texans (No. 3 and No. 13), Jets (No. 4 and No. 10), and Giants (No. 5 and No. 7).
2. Aside from trading Mayfield and ridding themselves of an increasingly awkward situation down the road, the Browns’ top priority on Day 2, Friday night, would seem to be selecting a wide receiver capable of fitting into the offense immediately. There has been no consensus on the order of receivers to fall from the draft board, but the top eight have held firm among Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave of Ohio State, Drake London of USC, Jameson Williams of Alabama, Treylon Burks of Arkansas, Jahan Dotson of Penn State, Skyy Moore of Western Michigan and George Pickens of Georgia. The next wave would include Jalen Tolbert of South Alabama, Christian Watson of North Dakota State, John Metchie of Alabama and Alec Pierce of Cincinnati. The chances of one of the top eight slipping to the Browns at No. 44 seem to be shrinking. So the Browns might have a tough decision on whether to sacrifice draft capital to move up, or move on to picking a defensive lineman first and a receiver in the third round.
3. At the NFL Combine, I tabbed Burks as my favorite receiver because of his size (6-2 and 225), his body of work against elite SEC competition, and his modest and humble personality. My opinion hasn’t changed.
4. It’s tough right now to suffer through a draft without a first-round pick. The possibility of Deshaun Watson receiving an NFL suspension to start the season makes it even tougher to digest. I’m sure those feelings of “buyer’s remorse” will fade when Watson is on the field performing like the Browns expect. If Watson eases all concerns by the balance of the 2022 season, sitting out the first rounds in 2023 and 2024 will be much easier, also. For now, however, there’s still just too much uncertainty to fully celebrate the “all-in” move the Browns made with the Watson mega-transaction. That’s a shame.
5. The Browns have been without a pick in the first round only two previous times in their expansion era. In 2008, they didn’t draft until the fourth round as a result of trades for quarterback Brady Quinn (in 2007), and defensive linemen Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers. Their first pick at No. 104 overall turned out to be linebacker Beau Bell of Nevada, who was waived after one season. In 2019, the Browns were shut out of the first round because of the Odell Beckham Jr. trade the year before. GM John Dorsey’s first selection was cornerback Greedy Williams at No. 46 overall. Williams started paying dividends in 2021 – his third season. Hindsight being 20-20, three receivers taken after Williams in the 2019 second round have turned out to be productive playmakers – A.J. Brown of Tennessee (No. 51), Mecole Hardman of Kansas City (No. 56) and D.K. Metcalf of Seattle (No. 64). Of course, after trading for Beckham, the Browns thought they were set at receiver and weren’t in the receiver market in the draft.
6. My hunch is the Browns have a good feeling about re-signing Jadeveon Clowney. Not having Clowney under contract actually helps to camouflage their intentions with the No. 44 pick. But if a Clowney deal doesn’t happen, that hole at left defensive end is bigger than the one at WR2.
7. I don’t expect the Browns to take a chance on David Ojabo, the pass rusher from Michigan who tore his left Achilles tendon at his pro day workout in March. Ojabo burst into high first-round territory with an 11-sack year in his only season as a starter in 2021. The unfortunate injury, however, reduces him to a “redshirt” rookie season in the NFL. While that makes Ojabo an interesting value pick after the first round for a team willing to wait for his full rehabilitation, the Browns don’t have that luxury because of the dearth of high draft picks over the next three years due to the Watson trade. Further, Berry probably would learn from the experience of cornerback Sidney Jones with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jones suffered a similar injury at his pro day in 2017. The Eagles selected Jones in the second round as a “value” pick. Jones began his second season as the Eagles’ starting nickel back, but he never fully recovered his promising form after the injury. The Eagles eventually released him on the final roster cut in 2020. By then, Berry was serving an apprenticeship under Eagles GM Howie Roseman, so he’s privy to the nuances of Jones’ demise.
8. As things stand, the Browns have seven draft picks. Three priorities after the second round seem to be a third tight end, a place-kicker and possibly a running back with certifiable receiving skills.
9. While LSU’s Cade York and Texas’ Cameron Dicker have received the most attention among the draft-eligible kickers, Dane Brugler of the Athletic ranks Chardon-native Gabe Brkic second to York and ahead of Dicker. Brkic was a Lou Groza Award finalist in 2021. In three years at Oklahoma, Brkic made 57 of 69 field goal attempts (82.6 percent), including 10 of 14 from 50 yards or more. Brkic is a graduate of Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin HS.
10. For what it’s worth, Berry has scored points with local media in each of his two drafts by trading his seventh-round selection and ending the draft’s marathon third day early. In 2020, Berry swapped his third- and seventh-round picks to the Saints in exchange for third-round picks in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, Berry traded his fourth- and seventh-round picks to Detroit for the Lions’ fourth- and fifth-round picks. This draft presents a new challenge to keep alive that streak, however. The Browns own two picks in the seventh round – No. 223 from Detroit (inherited from John Dorsey for quarterback David Blaugh) and No. 246 from Buffalo (for quarterback Case Keenum). If Berry could pull off a trade involving both seventh-round picks, he would take the early lead in the media’s annual Dino Lucarelli Good Guy Award voting.
