Cleveland Browns: 3 cornerbacks to target in Round 2 of the draft

After an eventful first day of the draft, many of the top cornerback prospects are still available. We take a look at the best prospects for the Cleveland Browns.

There aren’t many positions up for grabs this season for the Cleveland Browns, thanks to the work of general manager John Dorsey. Having said that, the cornerback spot may be the biggest area in need of an upgrade.

Currently, Denzel Ward is penciled in as one starter — and he did have a Pro Bowl season as a rookie. However, there’s room for improvement opposite him.

With that being the case, there’s a high likelihood that the Browns will add someone to the secondary when they finally do get on the clock at No. 49. Here are three players who we should be paying attention to as possible selections.

3. Greedy Williams, LSU

Greedy Williams was considered by many to be the first corner taken this year. That title now goes to DeAndre Baker, but that shouldn’t discount Williams’ ability. He’s one of the more versatile corners in the draft, as he can play a variety of coverages.

Williams shows a knack for finding the ball in the air and uses his long frame go up and get it. At only 182-pounds, however, Williams could find it difficult to deal with the bigger and more physical receivers in the NFL. If he can add a few pounds of muscle, he could be one of the top corners from the draft when all is said and done.

2. Byron Murphy, Washington

My personal favorite corner in the draft. Touted as one of the more cerebral corners in the draft, Murphy has an innate ability to diagnose the offensive scheme as it happens. He has the ability to play in a variety of coverages and doesn’t back down in run support.

Murphy is athletic enough to keep up with some of the quicker receivers and isn’t afraid of a physical battle with the larger receivers. He only played in 20 games in his collegiate career, so the sample size may be an issue. But if he can translate his abilities to the NFL, no one is going to care about sample size.

1. Amani Oruwariye, Penn State

Another lengthy and cerebral corner. Oruwariye, for a corner his size, is an extremely fluid athlete who can play in any defensive scheme with success. He’s willing to do the dirty work and get downhill to play the run, but an issue arises once he gets there. As big as he is, Oruwariye doesn’t knock people down. He will give up an extra yard or two when tackling, but this is an issue that can easily be addressed.

Oruwariye shows an outstanding ability to be a ball hawk for his team. If he can clean up his tackling, Oruwariye could be one of the best corners out of this draft.