Trey Lance's former favorite target at North Dakota State continued a post-season surge at the NFL Combine and could be a possibility for the Browns in the second round. (Getty Images)
At the Combine: Second wave of receivers could interest Browns
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Leftovers from the NFL Combine …
Every expert I’ve spoken to (so far) believes the Browns ought to prioritize a defensive lineman with their first draft pick over wide receiver because there are more quality options at receiver in Round 2 than there are pass rushers. So the theory is take the best available defensive lineman first and come back for the receiver second.On the Really Big Show on 850 ESPN Cleveland, Matt Miller, ESPN draft analyst, said, “I’d rather take a pass rusher in this class. I do think there is better receiver depth than pass rush depth.
“The best pass rushers in the NFL are largely first-round picks, and the best receivers are largely not first-round picks. So I do think smart front offices are able to find that value in Round 2.”
If the Browns adhere to that strategy, then what might be their options at No. 44 in the second round among the second wave of receivers?
Assuming the first wave is made up of Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, USC’s Drake London, Arkansas’s Treylon Burks, Alabama’s James Williams and Penn State’s Jahan Dotson, then the second wave would include – but would not be limited to – the following:
* George Pickens, Georgia: 6-3 ¼, 195 pounds, 4.47 40 time.
The Bulldogs’ leading receiver in 2019 and 2020 suffered a torn right ACL in spring practice in March, but returned in eight months to play in the final regular-season game, SEC Championship Game and the CFP playoffs. His tumbling 52-yard reception against Alabama in the national championship game set up a Georgia field goal.
Asked at the Combine what he learned about himself during his trying last season, Pickens said, “I realized that I'm a real hard worker. I'm hard on myself. When I figured that out, I figured out when you know yourself, you can't lie to yourself. I put those two together and I was able to come back faster than I thought I was going to be able to come back.”
Pickens’ best attributes, in his opinion? “My ball skills for sure. Contested catches, catching over the middle, drawing penalties. I'm really good at drawing penalties on DBs.”
* Christian Watson, North Dakota State: 6-4 ¼, 208, 4.36.
A late bloomer who received no major college offers, he attended FCS powerhouse North Dakota State “to win championships.” Watson opened eyes at the Senior Bowl and then followed with a tremendous Combine, vaulting him into second-round status.
At the Combine, Watson said what separates him from other receivers is “my size, my speed, my versatility. Being able to do it all. I don’t think there’s a lot of guys that have the same skillset that I have and I’m going to continue to prove that.”
* Skyy Moore, Western Michigan: 5-9 5/8, 195, 4.41.
He converted from quarterback and cornerback to receiver at Western Michigan and improved every year. He burst on the scene his final year with 95 catches for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns and then splashed at the Combine beyond his 40 times with a 10-foot, 5-inch broad jump and a 34.5 inch vertical.
Projected as an NFL slot receiver, Moore grew up in Pittsburgh idolizing Antonio Davis with the Steelers and was a high school teammate of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s son.
“I’d say my versatility [is my greatest asset],” Moore said at the Combine. “Being able to, first of all like my body type, I’m not a normal-looking receiver, I’d say. And I feel like my versatility and I feel like my IQ of the game, playing quarterback and understanding defenses. Knowing the timing, spacing and angles, leverage, I feel like I’m pretty savvy in that area.”
Others:
* Alec Pierce, Cincinnati: 6-3 ¼, 211, 4.41.
* Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama: 6-1 1/4 , 4.49.
* Makai Polk, Mississippi State: 6-3 ¼, 195, 4.59.
Say what?
Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder probably had the best workout of all the quarterbacks at the Combine and might sneak into the bottom of the first round, as a result.
Ridder raised some eyebrows in his media interview when he compared his game to a combination of Deshaun Watson and Ryan Tannehill – not a pair usually grouped together. Ridder said he admired Tannehill as a “game manager.” That’s usually a phrase quarterbacks abhor, but Ridder’s explanation spoke to his maturity and likely scored points with NFL coaches.
He explained, “Everyone out here might not have all the stats and everything, but at the end of the day all it’s about wins. Being able to win by one point or being able to win by 40 points. That’s really what it’s all about in this game of football. Sometimes he [Tannehill] finds ways to get that done. Like I said, I’m a winner. That’s what I do. And you know when I have the ball in my hands, I’m going to control it and be able to manage the game.”
Ridder continued, “I’m QB13 [here at the Combine] and there’s 15-20 guys right behind me making the same throws I am making. So at the end of the day, our wins do matter and then also our wins don’t matter. This is a new stage. I’m not going to go into an NFL locker room talking about the wins I had in college because a lot of those guys would probably just laugh at it.”
Find me my kicker
Cincinnati rookie Evan McPherson certainly raised awareness of the importance of kickers in the NFL postseason. The fifth-round draft pick was perfect in the Bengals’ run to the Super Bowl, making 14 of 14 field goals and 6 of 6 PATs, accounting for 48 of the Bengals 92 points in their four post-season games.
It remains to be seen whether the Browns, or any other kicker-desperate team, will use a draft pick on the 2022 class of kickers.
The best are:
* Cade York, LSU, 54 of 66 (.818) on field goals with a long of 57 yards.
* Cameron Dicker, Texas, 60 of 79 (.759), long of 57.
* Chardon-native Gabe Brkic, Oklahoma, 57 of 69 (.826), long of 56.
