The Cleveland Browns need to inject some speed into their wide receiver room. Here are three Senior Bowl day one wide receiver standouts that should be on the Browns radar.
The Senior Bowl is officially underway in Mobile, Alabama. Over 120 of College Football’s top prospects are in attendance and will be looking to showcase their skills in front of NFL general managers, coaches, scouts, and a litany of media. Draft season is in full swing, and Dawg Pound Daily is here for all of it.
The Cleveland Browns have two of their coaches participating in the Senior Bowl this year. Offensive quality control coach, Ashton Grant, is coaching the wide receivers for the National team, and Israel Woolfork, the Bill Wills Diversity Coaching Fellowship recipient, will be coaching the quarterbacks for the American team.
While the majority of the Browns offseason focus has been on retooling some defensive positional groups, and rightly so, there is an obvious need on the offensive side of the ball as well. The Browns need to bring in some weaponizable speed into their wide receiver room. Luckily for the Browns, the Senior Bowl has some quality candidates.
Here are three Senior Bowl wide receivers that should be on the Browns radar
Senior Bowl WR No. 3: Tre Tucker, Cincinnati
If speed kills, then consider University of Cincinnati wide receiver Tre Tucker an assassin. While Tucker is diminutive in size, 5-foot-8 and 187 pounds, he has big-time speed and versatility. While he’s not one of the more talked about receiving prospects, he will garner some attention when he laces up his sprinter shoes in Indianapolis at the NFL combine. Reportedly Tucker should comfortably clock in the 4.3s in the forty-yard dash.
But all that speed is worthless if a player doesn’t understand how to get open. That’s where Tucker can separate himself from the other small speedy receivers in this draft cycle. Tucker is an ideal slot receiver, who can pressure defensive backs with speed and then break them off with his footwork. Tucker understands leverage and he is sudden.
That suddenness was on full display during the first day of Senior Bowl practice. Tucker was winning one on one reps with ease using his speed and shiftiness to create immediate separation. It did not take long for the defensive backs in Mobile to start respecting Tucker’s speed.
Another plus to Tucker’s game is his ability in the kick return game. While he is learning the ropes as a receiver in the NFL, Tucker will be able to contribute as a homerun threat punt returner. That alone will earn him a home in the league.
But because of his size, Tucker is a player that should still be available on day three of the 2023 NFL draft. For a team like the Browns, Tucker, a native of Cuyahoga Falls, would be an ideal fit as a slot receiver and immediate contributor in special teams.
Pro comparison: Andrew Hawkins
Senior Bowl WR No. 2: Andre Iosivas, Princeton
Every year, a wide receiver prospect comes out of nowhere to become the darling of draft pundits. Last draft cycle Christian Watson wowed everyone with his physical gifts and stellar tape against lesser competition. May I introduce to you, your latest draft crush that you did not know about until the Senior Bowl…Andre Iosivas.
If you are a fan of physical traits, the Iosivas is the guy for you. Standing just shy of 6-foot-3 and weighing a sturdy 212 pounds, Iosivas is a big play waiting to happen. The Princeton Tiger track star has been able to take his elite speed to the Ivy League football field and showcase his talent. In 2022 Iosivas caught 66 passes for 943 yards and seven touchdowns for the Tigers.
It is one thing to dominate lesser competition and it’s another thing to come to the Senior Bowl and make a name for yourself. Iosivas showed that he definitely belongs on this stage and demonstrated two high-level receiving qualities outside of his obvious speed (a reported sub 4.3). The Hawaiian native put his high-level ball skills and tracking on display on the first day of Senior Bowl practice, making some impressive snags that caught the attention of his coaches.
At this rate, Iosivas is not going to be a secret for long. With couple more solid showings under his belt, and the athletic testing at the combine, Iosivas could find himself as a late-day two pick.
Pro comparison: Vincent Jackson
Senior Bowl WR No. 1: Puka Nacua, BYU
By the end of the Senior Bowl week, Puka Nacua is going to be a name that you are going to want to be familiar with. The 6-foot-1, 206lb receiver is putting defensive backs on notice in Mobile. On day one he proved to be unguardable and there is no reason that should end anytime soon.
Nacua is a complete receiver with good, not great, speed and excellent setups in his route running. Nacua is the type of receiver where every route looks the same until it isn’t. Nacua’s ability to push vertically in his stem and break his route off seamlessly was on full display in Mobile on Tuesday.
Nacua’s routes are not flashy, they are precise. It remains to be seen if the cornerbacks in Mobile will be able to get a feel for Nacua’s routes, but after day one it was obvious that they were in no man’s land.
When you combine Nucua’s route diversity with his straight-line speed, which should come in at the mid-4.4 range, you have a receiver with a complete skill set that should be able to contribute as a rookie. If you are a team like the Browns with no first-round picks, and other obvious needs, a player like Nacua could make a ton of sense in the third round.
There is room for growth in Nacua’s game, but the aspects that he has already polished would make an excellent addition to the Browns’ receiving room.
Pro comparison: (looks around), Cooper Kupp