Browns Draft Profile: Clive Walford
By Joe Zevchek
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 the NFL Draft.
Name
Position
Tight End
Weight/Height
251 LBS, 6’4″
School
Miami Hurricanes
Stats
44 receptions, 676 yards and 7 TDs
NFL Player Comparison
Dwayne Allen. Both are bigger-bodied, prototypical tight ends, who are solid in both pass catching and run blocking. Walford is also built identically to Antonio Gates, and like Gates has a basketball background, although not in college. With his excellent showing in the high jump and broad jump ( 35″€ and 120″€, respectively), it‒s always worth hoping that Walford could harness those skills in a way similar to what Gates has done.
2015 NFL Draft Range
Late 1st Round, or early 2nd. It i€™s hard to find a mock draft that has Walford going in the first round. A torn meniscus at the end of this past season and a slow 40 time at the combine may hamper his stock overall, but he has been steadily moving up most draft boards, and seems to be the consensus 2nd ranked TE in the draft behind Maxx Williams of Minnesota. The bottom line is that he should be available to the Browns should they chose to make a play for him.
Fit with the Browns
Run Blocking:€“ What he lacks in Williams’s field-stretching ability, Walford makes up for in his blocking. From Brandon Leister at draftbrowns.com:
“One of the first things that stand out about Walford is his ability as a blocker. He consistently shows great effort with a good pad level and does a good job of keeping his hands inside and moving defenders off the point of attack. Walford shows good core strength in pass protection and does not get easily bull rushed back into the quarterback’€™s lap. He anchors nicely and shows good effort. It is obvious that he takes pride in his blocking and it shows on the field.”
After watching a few minutes of film, it i€™s pretty obvious. Walford also shows extremely good footwork in his blocking-he doesn’t lunge at defenders, and breaks down at just the right time in order to square up with the defender. Seeing as the Browns are going to be a run-oriented team, having a solid blocking TE is essential.
Short/Middle field: Walford is very quick with his hands and does a good job to use his whole body to make catches. However, while he i€™s not afraid of running into traffic, he does have some issues holding onto the ball after taking a hit right after catching. As long as that i€™s not an issue of fear or confidence, it should be able to be coached out of him and Walford could be an excellent outlet option for whoever is playing quarterback. Additionally, he does a good job of quickly turning up field and gaining yards after the catch, as made evident by his 16.7 yards per catch average.
Browns Player Selection Could Impact
With the departure of Jordan Cameron and the failure to land Charles Clay, the Browns have an opening at TE, assuming that they will keep 3 on the roster like last year. If the team will run as much as they are expected, it is probably a safe assumption. Both Gary Barnidge and Jim Dray did an admirable job last year and their jobs are likely safe, but the Browns could certainly use Walford’s athleticism at the position.
How Selection Could Be Impacted By Free Agency
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Since the Browns lost Jordan Cameron and weren’t able to sign a high profile TE, acquiring a starting caliber TE in the draft has become a priority, arguably as much as a WR. Unless the Browns stick to a strictly best player available strategy, a TE will likely be selected within the first 3 rounds.
Priority
High-Medium – €As long as the Browns lack a blue-ship QB, a well-rounded TE who can help in both the running and short passing game will be essential. Walford’€™s size should make him an ideal red-zone target. Barnidge and Dray are both solid but lack the play making ability to help out a young QB like Johnny Manziel or career backup like Josh McCown.
What do you think about Clive Walford? Where should the Browns target him in the Draft?