Breshad Perriman: Browns Draft Profile

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

Breshad Perriman

Position

Wide Receiver

Height/Weight (Combine)

6’2″, 212 lbs

School

University of Central Florida (UCF)

Stats (link)

2014 – 13 games; 50 Receptions, 1044 yards, 9 Touchdowns

2014 NFL Draft Comparison

Jordan Matthews– 42nd overall (Philadelphia Eagles) – Matthews was another great prospect that came out during the 2014 NFL Draft, and that alone may have been the reason he slide into the second round. The 2014 wide receiver class was stacked with talent and Matthews was in the middle of the pack. Matthews large frame and speed combination along with his solid hands and body control made him an attractive prospect that the Eagles couldn’t pass on in the second round.

2015 NFL Draft Range

Late 1st Round – Early 2nd 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 6 prospects with first round talent, and a second tier of receivers with good all around talent. Perriman is in that second tier; he has the tools necessary to be a first round talent but he had some issues with dropped passes, and with 6 possible first round receivers, Perriman will likely have to wait until the 2nd round to come off the board.

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 6’2″, Perriman 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. Perriman has the size, strength, and great quickness to get separation and make contested catches, the big question mark is if he can do it consistently. Perriman’s father (Brett Perriman) played receiver in the NFL for 10 years and had two 1,000-yard seasons with the Detroit Lions.

• Route Running & Agility –  Perriman has the size and speed to accelerate and get to full speed in a hurry, his initial quickness allows him to create enough space,  and makes him an ideal target on deep passing routes. Perriman is an unpolished route runner, but he does have a long deceptive stride that lets him beat a cushion defense and attack deep. Perriman has a tendency to give away routes by turning his body too early before the breaks. Perriman is though an elusive runner that does well in space and can gain much needed yards after the catch.

• Pass Catching Ability – Perriman is a well balanced player that possesses great body control and sure hands needed to catch the ball away from his frame.  Although Perriman does have issues with dropped passes, he does displays the toughness to make catches in traffic and can hold onto the ball through contact. Perriman has an excellent catch radius; he shows the ability to catch the ball at the high point (although he sometimes jump’s early) and also makes catches away from his body.

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 Perriman’s selection. Travis Benjamin would be the only player that comes to mind that could be cut to make way for any drafted wide receiver but that would be true no matter what the Browns do in the NFL Draft. Benjamin is a smaller slot receiver that has been the primary special teams player, mainly punt return duties. Benjamin suffered a torn ACL injury back during the 2013 season, and it looked like it affected his confidence during the 2014 season as a special teams player. The Browns eventually went away from Benjamin later in the 2014 season due to his confidence issues and only averaged 8.5 yards per return. With the acquisition of two free agent wide receivers and draft another, Benjamin could be on the outside looking in.

How the Selection Could Impacted by Free Agency

N/A – The Browns’ have lost in the court of public opinion for not upgrading the wide receiver position in the NFL draft last season. The Browns look like they have identified the need for solid veteran leadership across the board and went out and got two veteran receivers in Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline. The Browns’ have addressed key needs along the defensive line, and wide receivers with veterans in free agency, but now depth and the need for another outside pass rusher have moved up the list. If my prediction is right the Browns will look early for pass rushing and run stopping players, which might not be sexy but winning on defense is just as important as offense. If the Browns go that route they may look at the second tier of wide receiver talent to address the need for another pass catcher.

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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. The Browns already have acquired veterans Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline, but drafting some young talent that can learn from the veterans would be ideal.

What do you think about targeting Breshad Perriman in the 2015 NFL Draft?

Next: Full Browns NFL Draft Profiles List

The video clips were provided courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com