Cleveland Browns draft profile: Austin Hooper
By Thomas Moore
It is certainly possible that the Browns are happy with going into the season to see what they have with their existing tight ends. But the reality is that, after Barnidge, the trio of E.J. Bibbs, Connor Hamlett and Randall Telfer have combined for one career reception for seven yards.
By adding Hooper, the Browns would upgrade the blocking aspect of the tight end position, something that is not Barnidge’s strength, while also adding another sure-handed receiver to the lineup. The fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots are also reportedly showing interest in Hooper is probably enough that he should also be on the Browns’ radar.
As this article at numberfire.com points out, whenever head coach Hue Jackson has worked with an offense where the wide receiver position is not particularly strong he has relied heavily on the tight ends, meaning the position could be valuable come draft weekend.
The biggest question is what would be the right time to select a player like Hooper? The tight end class is extremely weak this year, meaning that Hooper could go higher than he probably should. But if he is still there near the end of the fourth round (when the Browns select at No. 138), then he could be under consideration.