If you listened closely, Browns GM Andrew Berry might have tipped his hand on the Browns' top two choices in the April 24-26 draft. (TheLandOnDemand)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Andrew Berry’s pre-draft press conference …
TheLandOnDemand first mocked Colorado two-way sensation Travis Hunter to the Browns on March 25 – 10 days before the organization’s executive-heavy contingent attended the Colorado pro day “showcase.”
(Spoiler alert: That pick won’t change when our final mock is posted on draft night April 24.)
For the record, Browns GM Andrew Berry on Thursday contended again that he’ll use “the whole shot clock” in making their choice at No. 2 overall, and that “all options are on the board.”
I believe the decision to select Hunter was sealed before the Browns even got to Colorado and watched Shedeur Sanders flutter the ball around.
And Berry’s effusive comments about Hunter on Thursday verified it, in my opinion.
My other main takeaway from Berry’s presser is that Jalen Milroe is the quarterback the Browns covet most in the draft.
I felt Milroe was a “quarterback of interest” even before the Browns promoted Tommy Rees, Milroe’s coordinator at Alabama, to coordinate Kevin Stefanski’s offense in 2025. I believe their interest has only intensified in this draft season.
Whether they wait until No. 33 to take him, or have to move up into the first round, or trade down in the second round … these are the issues that Berry and his staff will have to study, and get right, in the week before the draft in their “scenario and strategy planning” sessions.
Football’s Shohei Ohtani
Berry’s excitement about Hunter was first evident at the NFL Combine, when he broke ranks from other GMs and positively stated that Hunter should be viewed as a receiver first. Only after Deion Sanders agreed in an interview at the Colorado pro day did draft analysts join in, by the way.
This week, Hunter doubled-down on his intention to play both ways in the NFL and reportedly said he would retire if a team didn’t let him. Which brought a chuckle from Berry because he also said at the Combine that he envisioned Hunter playing both ways in the NFL, too.
“I think one of the things that you can’t probably fully appreciate until you actually see Travis play live is just his elite conditioning,” Berry said. “Like going out and seeing him play at Colorado, he really never comes off the field. And it’s unbelievable because there are more plays in a college game than there is in a pro game. And it’s like the guy, he barely pants, like that kind of thing. So, it’s quite incredible.
“You know, that being said, what he would attempt to do has not been really done in our league, but we wouldn’t necessarily put a cap or a governor in terms of what he could do. You know, we would want to be smart in terms of how we started him out. I think I’ve mentioned before, we would see his first home as receiver and his second home on the defensive side of the ball.”
Many analysts rank Hunter the best receiver and the best cornerback in the draft, so it would be foolish for any team not to maximize him at both positions.
“It’s a little bit like [Shohei] Ohtani, right?" Berry said. "When he’s playing one side, he’s an outstanding player, if he’s a pitcher. If he’s a hitter, he’s an outstanding player. You obviously get a unicorn if you use them both ways.”
Jim Schwartz would have a large say-so about how Hunter could be used on defense. But Berry hinted that Hunter’s slim frame (6-0 3/8, 188 pounds) would be reason to keep Hunter as a perimeter outside cornerback, and not subject him to the pounding that comes with slot cornerback play.
(Imagine in four-cornerback sets, MJ Emerson and Hunter playing outside corner and Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome inside.)
“Playing on the perimeter positions, there’s maybe a little bit less contact than there would be as you get closer to the ball,” Berry said. “But it’s something that… look, 32 teams would have to figure that out as they think through his profile. And, you know, there would be some, probably, learning on the fly if he were here.”
Berry’s biggest challenge in the draft
Turning in the card on Hunter might be the easiest thing Berry does on draft weekend. I made the point to Berry that identifying his quarterback choice, and when to take him, would be Berry’s biggest challenge.
He wouldn’t agree, but it is.
Although owner Jimmy Haslam has relieved the pressure on Berry to “find me my quarterback!”, coming out of this draft with a quality developmental prospect at quarterback remains the top priority.
Berry did agree that his pro personnel staff will be key in providing intel on what other quarterback-hungry teams might do to surpass the Browns’ No. 33 position in potential trade-ups.
“With our pro group, they have to know their teams inside and out,” Berry said. “So, in terms of, call it the research aspect – in terms of how they think about the roster, tendencies with the coaching staff or the GM or whatever -- that would largely reside with our pro scouting staff as well as our research and strategy group.”
Milroe or Dart?
I believe that Milroe and Jaxson Dart of Mississippi have been the quarterbacks the Browns ranked ahead of Sanders from the start of this process. I now think that Milroe, who is more of a long-term project, has edged ahead of Dart.
One comment by Berry should not be overlooked. He said, “Quarterbacks mature and grow at their own pace, and our thought isn’t in terms of immediacy but making the best long-term bet.”
Here is what Berry said about both prospects, whom he called “both excellent players,” on Thursday:
“Jalen, he’s got rare physical talent. He may be the only quarterback when he gets in the NFL, who’s faster than Lamar [Jackson]. Don’t tell Lamar I said that, please. He’s got rare physical gifts. He’s strong, he’s fast, he’s got a really strong arm. And any system that you build around him, you want to take advantage of the fact that he has things that no other players at the position have.
“Jaxson, he’s very well-rounded. He can run it, he can throw it, he’s accurate. He’s a good decision-maker. I’d say he’s pretty scheme versatile, so to speak. So, look, I think, both those guys in the proper situation can be really good NFL players.”
Do not discount the role of Rees in evaluating Milroe’s pro potential.
“It helps a lot,” Berry said of Rees. “Having been at Alabama with him for a full year, calling plays for him, knowing his strengths and weaknesses … it helps a lot.”
Other points:
* Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter aroused very little discussion. I asked Berry what is his understanding of Carter’s availability in the offseason program, considering he has yet to run or work out for any NFL team (shoulder and foot injuries).
Berry replied, “I’d say more generally, our medical staff is not necessarily concerned about any health risks with him.” And that was the extent of his comments on Careter.
* Berry sized up the Joe Flacco-v-Kenny Pickett competition for the initial starting role this way:
“Joe can fit a number of different spots in the room. We obviously know him well. He’s an excellent play-action passer. You know, he functions kind of in our system. With Kenny, [he’s a] younger guy, mobile, very smart, protects the ball. I think there’s more physical ability in him. A guy we did a lot of work on in that draft process and obviously saw him twice a year when he was in Pittsburgh. And so we think there’s more to get out of him there.”