Struggles to expect for the Cleveland Browns rookie class in 2021
By Greg Newland
Offensive Tackle – James Hudson III
With their first pick in the fourth round, the Browns selected offensive tackle, James Hudson III out of Cincinnati. At the time of the draft, many were surprised to see him on the board, and it was a great value pick by Cleveland.
While Hudson has freak athleticism for his size, he will have to get better at pass protection if he wants a chance to start in the NFL. At times his body can move too fast and counter moves by the defensive end can be extremely successful.
Hudson only has 11 starts in his career, so he will continue to get better. Not to mention he will be under the mentorship of one of the best coaches in the league, Bill Callahan.
Wide Receiver – Anthony Schwartz
In round three, the Cleveland Browns went will the speedy receiver from Auburn, Anthony Schwartz. This is a guy with Olympic-type speed, but we all know that doesn’t always translate to the NFL Just ask the Las Vegas Raiders who had a run of drafting fast receivers in the first round that never turned out.
Schwartz’s biggest struggle as a rookie will be his route tree. With his speed at the college level, he could just run a go route and be successful.
Unfortunately for him, everyone is fast in the NFL. And although he may still be faster, he won’t be nearly as effective. Schwartz will need to develop underneath route-running skills to help his speed become more effective over the top.