Kevin White: Browns Draft Profile
By Paul Noel
The Cleveland Browns season is over. We will spend a good amount of time reviewing the season but we will spend even more time preparing for the off-season. Browns 2015 NFL Draft seems ready to be a very interesting one for the team. With 10 picks, including two in the first round, the Browns are ready to make noise again for the second year in a row.
Instead the 2014 started off strong and ended with a thud. Last year the Browns draft included a big trade down and the drafting of Johnny Manziel. While the first round hasn’t panned out yet, the rest of the draft seems to be great. It is likely that GM Ray Farmer and Head Coach Mike Pettine see a greater need for more veteran talent on a very young roster and we expect them to be aggressive in seeking to bring in that talent during Browns free agency.
After free agency we wouldn’t be surprised if the Browns tried to trade their picks to move up, to get another veteran or went with best player available instead of drafting for need. Farmer did this last year when he drafted Joel Bitonio, Terrance West, Christian Kirksey and others instead of drafting a wide receiver. We could see that again.
In preparation for such we will be taking a look at certain players that we think the Browns could target. Keep in mind we are not saying that these are players they are targeting, although some rumors may start to leak of the Browns having interest in them, instead these are players that we think the Browns could or should have interest in. Our profile will try to include as much information as possible to prepare you for free agency.
Every Draft Profile So Far Found Here (New Window)
Name
Position
Wide Receiver
Height/Weight
6’3″, 210 lbs
School
West Virginia Mountaineers
Stats (link)
2014 – 13 games; 109 Receptions, 1447 yards, 10 Touchdowns
2014 NFL Draft Comparison
Sammy Watkins– 4th overall (Buffalo Bills) – Watkins was the best offensive weapon in the 2014 NFL Draft class, and was arguably the best receiver prospect to enter the NFL since the 2011 draft class which featured A.J. Green and Julio Jones. Watkins is an extremely fast and explosive play-maker who can create space and score from nearly any place on the field. (Editor’s Note: Don’t love the Watkins comparison but not sure there is a better one than him. White is less explosive but very talented. Seen some compare him to Larry Fitzgerald, a compliment that might be the best comparison as well.)
2015 NFL Draft Range
10-20 Range 1st Round – The 2015 NFL Draft doesn’t have the great depth at the wide receiver position that the 2014 class had, but what the draft class does have is a select group of about 5 prospects with first round talent. Kevin White is a tall receiver (6’3″) with a slender frame who possesses outstanding agility, reflexes, and reliable hands. White has the quickness off the line of scrimmage to beat press coverage and accelerate down field.
Fit with the Browns
Miles Austin is one of the four leading receivers on the Browns roster from this past season and is the only one who stands above 5’10”. The Browns’ clearly sound like they have moved on from the Josh Gordon experiment and the aging 30-year old veteran is not getting any younger. At 6’3″, White is another wide receiver prospect that could step-in and stretch the field for the Browns’ offense. The Browns’ offense desperately missed the deep ball last season and had to rely heavily on the slot receivers to stretch the defense. White has a the size, strength, and quickness to get separation and make contested catches. White is another wide receiver prospect that national pundits question his elite speed, I would argue though that his 4.49 sec 40 yard time would suggest that he does possess the necessary quick burst to force corners to turn and run with him on vertical or ‘Go’ routes.
Browns Player Selection Could Impact
The Browns do not have the kind of depth where there is a specific player that would be impacted by White’s selection. Travis Benjamin or Marlon Moore could be cut to make way for any drafted or signed free agent wide receiver but that would be true no matter what the Browns do in the NFL Draft.
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How Selection Could Be Impacted By Free Agency
The Browns’ have lost in the court of public opinion for not upgrading the wide receiver position in the NFL draft last season. If the Browns’ address key needs along the Offensive and Defensive line in free agency then that would give them the ample opportunity to grab a good wide receiver high in the draft. But if the Browns’ make a splash in free agency with a wide receiver signing chances are they will wait until the 3rd round or later. to find serviceable talent.
Priority
Medium – The Browns can’t continue to thrust QB’s into the starting role without building a great supporting cast. Success in the NFL comes from having the pieces in place to make life easier on the QB position. If the Browns’ want the QB position to flourish then they need to address the supporting cast starting with getting a quality starting wide receiver.
What do you think about targeting Kevin White in the 2015 NFL Draft?