D.J. Humphries: 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

D.J. Humphries

Position

Offensive Tackle

Weight/Height

307 LBS, 6’5’’

School

Florida Gators

Stats

N/A

NFL Player Comparison

D’Brickshaw Fergesun

2015 NFL Draft Range

Late 1st-Early 2nd – Most mocks that have Humphries in the 1^st Round have him in the 2^nd half, and draftbreakdown.com has his projected as a 2^nd round pick.

Fit with the Browns

Run Blocking – Humphries does a very good job of playing with power behind his blocks, and every time you see him on film he meets defenders with aggression. This does well in helping him get a good push in the run game, although his aggression can cause him to miss on blocks at times. Per Bryan Perez at Draft Breakdown:

“At times, Humphries tries to play with too much power, losing sight of his target in both the passing and running games; He whiffs far too often. I don’t think it’s an issue with flexibility or waist bending as much as it is a ‘want’ to unload on the defender; He’ll need to learn more patience and better over technique with next level coaching.”

Additionally, Humphries does have issues with hand placement, which can negate his ability to drive defenders back, even when he gets a good hit. However, as Perez mentioned, these are coachable issues, and not physical attributes that can limit his ability. On an additional positive note, NFL.com takes note of Humphries “nastiness” which would give the Browns an aggressive player on each side of the line should he inserted at right tackle.

The first minute of this game against Florida State shows Humphries opening up holes, blocking down field and turning the guy he is blocking, against a pretty good FSU defense:

Pass Blocking – Humphries has good, nimble feet and squares up with blockers very well. Again, his issues with hand placement could make him prone to getting beat on speed rushes or via counter moves. However, his overall athleticism serves his very well, making him more of a natural tackle then other prospects who still may be ranked higher, including La’el Collins of LSU.

Here is Humphries dancing with the defensive end. He is #70 playing left tackle:

Browns Player Selection Could Impact

Mitchell Schwartz – As it’s been stated on this site and from others before, Schwartz could be moved inside to guard. Humphries’s athleticism makes him a more natural tackle, and taking advantage of Schwartz’s physical strength by moving him inside would give the Browns a formidable line. Also, should Humphries take time to develop, Schwartz can (hopefully) still hold down RT for a while with Humphries competing at guard his rookie season.

How Selection Could Be Impacted By Free Agency

Since the Browns didn’t address the line in free agency, there’s probably no one that they could sign before the season that would be anything more than a backup.

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Priority

Medium– The Browns need to fortify RT, and after 3 seasons, Schwartz’s inconsistency have made him a public target and the answer is more athleticism, which is exactly what Humphries brings. Even though fans have issues with Schwartz, he has stayed as the starting RT through 3 different coaching staff. Humphries is very talented and it’s likely that the Browns coaching staff and front office are thinking the same since they took the time to visit with him at Florida’s pro day this week. The Browns have to make some plans on the offensive line as Schwartz and Alex Mack could be free agents at the end of the season.

What do you think about D.J. Humphries as a Browns NFL Draft Target?

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