Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Profile: Juju Smith-Schuster
By Joel W. Cade
The Cleveland Browns lost their number one wide receiver in free agency. Find out why Juju Smith-Schuster should be the guy to fill the void.
The Cleveland Browns need to get better at wide receiver. Having spent four draft picks on the wide receiver position in the 2016 draft, is it feasible to spend another pick on a wide receiver?
The wide receiver room received a blow when Terrelle Pryor left via free agency. In his place the Browns signed former Los Angeles Rams receiver Kenny Britt.
Britt joins a wide receiver room that includes 2016 first round pick Corey Coleman. Coleman began the year showing promise. However, a freak injury at practice led to missing several weeks of valuable game experience.
When he did return, he looked very much the part of a rookie learning to play professional football. His NFL.com draft profile projected Coleman as having a “good chance to be a NFL starter.”
Also in the room is Rashard Higgins. Drafted in the fifth round by the Browns, Higgins was the most pro-ready of all the wide receivers drafted in 2016. He was an excellent route runner in college with great hands. Yet he lacks breakaway speed which will limit him to roles in the slot.
Last season Higgins showed no signs of becoming an NFL starter anytime soon. The Browns are hoping he can take a leap from year one to year two. His NFL.com profile projected him as a backup who may work himself into a starter.
The Browns drafted Ricardo Louis in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Louis was the top performer for wide receivers is the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump and broad jump. He is everything an analytic-minded person would like in a receiver.
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However, he is still learning to play wide receiver at the NFL level. His NFL.com profile projected him as a backup who could work his way into being a starter.
Jordan Payton was drafted in the fifth round in 2016. Payton’s year started late as he missed most of OTA’s and mini-camp due to UCLA’s quarter system. When he did arrive, he was behind and never caught up to the rest of the team.
Late in the season, Payton was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. His suspension ended after the final game of the season. Payton is player who needs to show improvement in camp or he is in danger of losing his roster spot. His NFL.com profile projected him as a special teams player and developmental project.
Although this is not an exhaustive list, the point is the Browns need talent at wide receiver and less bodies occupying roster spots.
The Browns should look to University of Southern California’s JuJu Smith-Schuster to help fill out the wide receiver group.