PFF 3-round mock draft recharges Cleveland Browns offense
By Thomas Moore
The Cleveland Browns solve some major problems in Pro Football Focus’ three-round mock draft.
The Cleveland Browns have a prime opportunity to jump-start the latest rebuilding effort in the opening round of this month’s 2016 NFL Draft.
The Browns hold three of the draft’s first 65 selections, and as long as executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown doesn’t take any texts from Ray Farmer on draft night, team executives should be able to sleep comfortably three weeks from tonight as the second round comes to a close.
Pro Football Focus released a three-round mock draft this week and they present a solid blueprint for what the first two days of the draft could look like as they have the Browns selecting Cal quarterback Jared Goff in the first round (No. 2 overall), Mississippi wide receiver Laquon Treadwell in the second round (No. 32 overall) and UCLA defensive tackle Kenny Clark in the third round (No. 65 overall).
Related: Cleveland Browns draft profile: Jared Goff
“I like Goff because the more I watch him and the more you break down the tapes, I just think he does quarterbacking things that translate to the NFL,” Steve Palazzolo, an analyst at PFF, told ohio.com about his preference for Goff over North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz. “He has the pocket movement, pocket presence. He’s so good and quick with his reads and seeing the field. He can work through multiple reads.
“[On] some short passes, he’s a little off behind the line of scrimmage. On some screens and up to 5 yards, he’s a little bit off from a ball-location standpoint. But between 6 and 30 yards, where you’re going to make the majority of your throws, he’s just the best in the class as far as putting the ball on guys. He did it under pressure. He did it against the blitz. I just like so much about his game.”
There is a lot to like about Goff, even if his selection would ignite a debate among Browns fans over “drafting for need” versus drafting the “best player available.” (Of course, Goff could be both for the Browns). Goff finished his collegiate career completing 977 passes for 12,195 yards and 96 touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 144.
He also was the first true freshman in Cal history to start a season opener and is familiar with what it means to be the quarterback of a rebuilding team, which could be a check in his favor as the Browns are currently on their latest rebuilding project.
While we would prefer TCU’s Josh Doctson over Treadwell, it is unlikely that Doctson will fall into the second round, leaving Treadwell as an appealing selection at the top of the second round.
Related: Cleveland Browns draft profile: Laquon Treadwell
At 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds Treadwell has the size to hold up in the AFC North Division and his size helps him overcome his lack of over-the-top speed.
“He’s going to get beat up because he’s slow but I like everything else he does,” a scout with an AFC South team told NFL.com. “You would think scouts would learn about overestimating speed and underestimating tape. He’ll go in the first but not sure how high.”
Treadwell finished his collegiate career as the Rebels’ leader in career receptions, and third in receiving yards and touchdowns. He also returned from a broken leg to finish the 2015 season with 82 receptions for 1,153 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.
The Browns need to add another wide receiver to the roster, especially with it looking like less of a “lock” that Josh Gordon will be reinstated (and the rumors that he is spending more and more time with Johnny Manziel are not helping), meaning that the Treadwell pick could make sense.
With the second pick in the third round, PFF has the Browns selecting the 6-foot-3, 314-pound Clark, pointing out that:
"Clark’s 43.9 overall grade finished 12th in the draft class as he can push the pocket as a pass rusher (one bull rush pressure every 23.8 rushes, second-best in the class) while making plays up and down the line of scrimmage in the run game."
According to CBS Sports, there is one area that Clark does well and it just happens to be something that the Browns are sorely in need of:
"Though he doesn’t possess great size, Clark is one of the country’s better run-stuffers, winning with strength, a naturally low center of gravity and hustle to plug rushing lanes. Overshadowed by flashier athletes throughout much of his career and still developing his pass rush skills, Clark flashes the violence, agility and motor to twist and drive blockers backward, projecting as a three-down interior player at the next level."
The Browns certainly can use help along the defensive line, and there are some projections that say Clark’s best position in the NFL will be as a 3-4 defensive end, so the thought of lining him up next to Danny Shelton is not without its charms. However, if players like Middle Tennessee State safety Kevin Byard, Clemson outside linebacker Kevin Dodd and Boise State outside linebacker Kamalei Correa are still on the board (as they are in PFF’s mock draft), they could prove hard to pass up.
What do you think, Browns fans? Would you be happy come the evening of April 29 if this is how the first three rounds turn out for the team?