Following a night to reflect, the Cedric Tillman pick could wind up working out for the Cleveland Browns. He's a big-bodied wideout who did have a fantastic 2021 campaign for Tennessee.
Even so, he had one full season of production in five years with the Volunteers and is one of the older wideouts in this class. He also ran a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash, so he's not likely to come into the league and threaten defenses deep.
With all that being said, the positional need was there, and taking a wideout made a lot of sense. But what other options could Andrew Berry have pulled the trigger on?
Browns WR prospect No. 3: A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
Like Tillman, A.T. Perry is on the older side. In fact, Perry is six months older and will turn 24 during his rookie season. But the guardrails that Andrew Berry has worked with seemed to be slightly relaxed as they not only drafted Tillman but also had done plenty of homework on Tank Dell.
Perry is also similar to Tillman in that he didn't play much early in his career, making nine appearances in the first two seasons. But then he broke out in 2021 with 1,293 yards and 15 touchdowns on 71 receptions. Perry then followed this up with a 1,096-yard campaign with 11 more touchdowns on 81 catches in 2022.
He's also got plenty of size at 6-foot-3 (and a half) and 198 pounds. Throw in the fact that he ran a 4.47 and averaged more than 18 yards per catch in 2021 and he's clearly someone with upside.
But if we're being honest, Perry might have a lower floor than Tillman — and that's likely the reason Cleveland went the way they did.
Browns WR prospect No. 2: Tyler Scott, Cincinnati
Leading up to the draft, the dots were continually being connected from Tyler Scott to the Cleveland Browns. A local kid who went to Norton High, Scott made it clear that he would be happy to play in Cleveland. He also referenced Amari Cooper as someone he tries to emulate — which isn't a bad strategy for anyone.
Of course, being a fan shouldn't ever matter in evaluating. We can spout off "he gets us" about any player but it means absolutely nothing when the game starts. But with Scott, there seemed to be a true interest and he would have been an intriguing fit in this offense.
Scott isn't the biggest receiver at 5-foot-10 and 177 pounds but he's a solid route runner with plenty of speed. Ironically enough, he ran just a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash which is very surprising. Not only does the tape show someone much faster but he's also a former Junior Olympic Sprinter, so not breaking 4.4 was unexpected.
Adding him would have given them someone else capable of running the jet sweeps — which Kevin Stefanski loves — and it would have given them another wideout capable of stretching the field. They must have felt comfortable with Elijah Moore and Marquise Goodwin being able to do this, however, which is one reason why Tillman was chosen over Scott.
Browns WR prospect No. 1: Josh Downs, North Carolina
Out of all the wideouts on the board when Cleveland was on the clock at No. 74, Josh Downs was the most surprising. The North Carolina product was mocked in Round 1 early on during the process. While that might have been too high, almost no one saw him falling out of Round 2.
But he did as the Indianapolis Colts selected him at No. 79 overall, not long after the Browns took Tillman. Had Cleveland elected to roll with Downs instead, they would have gotten someone with insane collegiate production and the ability to be a long-term starter in the slot according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
"Free-flowing athlete with dynamic footwork and an instinctive feel for how to elude opponents. Downs posted off-the-charts production over the last two seasons as an undersized slot with an oversized will. His confidence jumps off the tape and he has proven himself to be better at catching through contact than you might expect. While his route running is effective and fun to watch, coaches will need him to become more disciplined and efficient in order to maintain the timing of play designs. Downs might not have prototypical size, but he’s well-positioned to keep stacking catches and making plays as a starting NFL slot receiver."Zierlein, NFL.com
Downs was a beast over the past two seasons with 195 receptions for 2,364 yards with 19 touchdowns in that span. Hardly anyone expected him to be there at No. 74 and had they pulled the trigger on this pick, it might have offered much more upside.