The Cleveland Browns selected four wide receivers in 2016, though John Ross would seemingly fit well with the direction of this Browns offense.
The Cleveland Browns invested in Corey Coleman last season and he should make great strides in his sophomore season. The former Baylor receiver showed flashes in 2016 although suffered several injuries.
Finding another versatile receiver to pair with Coleman and newly acquired Kenny Britt would not only help the receivers but also the quarterback. Enter John Ross.
Of course, Ross captured the attention of the national media during the 2017 NFL Combine. In case you missed it, he ran a record 4.22 40-yard dash time, a new combine record. So the speed is not a question for this young man. The Browns haven’t had a definite deep-threat since the loss of Travis Benjamin and could be looking to find one.
The Browns receiving corps was far from good in 2016, but it was expected due to the amount of rookies. Ricardo Louis, Rashard “Hollywood” Higgins and Jordan Payton all battled for playing time and Coleman missed six games.
There is some turnover at the position for the Browns heading into the 2017 NFL season though. Cleveland let Terrelle Pryor walk in free agency and waived veteran Andrew Hawkins in a mutual agreement. But, they did sign Kenny Britt away from the Los Angeles Rams and, once again, await the NFL’s decision regarding Josh Gordon’s potential reinstatement.
Corey Coleman and Kenny Britt appear to be the only locks at the receiver position for the Browns in 2017. The Browns know they cannot rely on Gordon and they have a stable of unproven receivers behind Coleman and Britt.
Finding a slot receiver that can also kick outside at times as a deep-threat is ideal and John Ross meets those expectations.
Player Profile
Name
John Ross III
Position
Wide Receiver
Height/Weight
5-foot-11/188 pounds
School
Washington
Stats (link)
2016 – 14 games, 81 receptions, 1,1250 yards, 17 touchdowns
2015 – Missed season due to injury
2014 – 13 games, 17 receptions, 371 yards, 4 touchdowns
2013 – 13 games, 16 receptions, 208 yards, 1 touchdown
Considering Ross broke the NFL Combine’s record in the 40-yard dash, it’s safe to state he strikes like lightning. His ability to beat anyone on a vertical route also creates space in shorter routes as well.
The Washington standout’s footwork is decent, as is his route running, although there is definitely room for improvement. He can start at polishing his routes for those short gains and utilize the space given by defenders who play against his home-run ability.
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Ross doesn’t have that dominant go-up-and-get-it trait but at 5-foot-11, he does not need that. He blows by defenders off the line of scrimmage and if the quarterback can hit him in stride it likely turns into a big play.
Lance Zierlein’s profile on Ross pointed out he converted nearly 21 percent of his receptions into touchdowns in 2016. He draws comparisons to DeSean Jackson due to his explosiveness and Zierlein also wrote about his versatility:
"Ross is an instant-impact weapon who scored 23 touchdowns in just 112 touches. He should be able to step right in as a kick returner and a slot receiver, but teams with speed at tight end might utilize him outside to create extreme vertical stress on opposing safeties. If his knees check out as healthy, Ross is a likely first-round pick with the rare ability to become a high-volume slot receiver or a lesser-targeted, high-yield deep-ball threat."
Unfortunately, as good a prospect as Ross is there are some serious health concerns with him. In 2014, he tore his ACL and had microfracture surgery the following year. It was also revealed he needs surgery on a torn labrum in his shoulder. Despite these injuries, Ross bounced back strong and now constitutes as a top receiver prospect of this draft class.
As stated earlier, adding a player like Ross to Cleveland’s receiving corps would maximize the offense’s potential.
Corey Coleman is expected to be the No. 1 receiver for the Browns and was drafted to be so. After only playing in ten games and not consistently playing like a first-round receiver, Coleman was somewhat lackluster in his rookie season. Although, Browns head coach Hue Jackson is confident he will turn that around in year two.
The addition of Britt offers Cleveland a consistent and tough wideout who will help the younger receivers grow. Britt is heading into his ninth NFL season and 2016 represented his “breakout” year.
He reached 1,000 yards for the first time in his career (1,002) and posted five touchdowns for the first time since his sophomore season in 2010. An impressive season ultimately led to the Cleveland Browns signing him to a four-year deal worth up to $32.5 million.
Aside from Britt and Coleman, the rest of the receivers are young and unproven. That is not to say they can’t become viable receivers in the NFL. Though when drafting four receivers in one draft, it is highly unlikely that all will be starting material. Especially when none make much of an impact in their rookie season.
This opens the door for the Browns to draft another wide receiver in 2017. Although, the team will only will take one if they feel the fit is near perfect, and John Ross can be that guy.
Sure, he is undersized (as is Coleman) but the speed and home-run potential is difficult to miss. That alone provides Ross an opportunity to play come Week 1 as a rookie, and he will make any quarterback with a big arm happy.
Not to mention, Ross is also a viable kick returner with his blazing speed and awareness skills. The Browns struggled to find theirs in 2016 and would likely enjoy not having Corey Coleman and Joe Haden risk injury while returning kicks and punts.
The Cleveland Browns definitely have other pressing needs outside of receiver, but any team finishing 1-15 will need help across the board. The defense was a mess and will likely be addressed primarily through the draft.
However, if the front office feels that Ross will open up the field, help out their quarterback and more importantly speed up Coleman’s growth as a player, they may very well take a shot at a guy like John Ross.
Realistically speaking, Ross’ draft projection is around the later first-to-third round. His playmaking is not in question, but his injury history is worrisome.
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At the end of the day, Cleveland needs to address a variety of positions before considering receivers but with the amount of draft capital the Browns have they are able to trade up and take their guy at any spot. Although unlikely to be drafted by the Browns, Cleveland will be interested in adding someone like Ross.