4 Boom or Bust prospects the Cleveland Browns could draft in 2023

The 2023 NFL draft is right around the corner and the decision-makers in Berea are doing their due diligence to ensure the Cleveland Browns walk away with the best players possible at each selection.

But despite all that hard work by Andrew Berry and company, and regardless of how much time they spend going over simulations and player projections, less than half of the players they select will go on to have impactful careers for the Browns.

That success rate is not limited to the players drafted by the Browns, it is that way across the entire league. More than half of the players selected in the first round of the draft will not be retained at the end of their rookie contract, and each subsequent round that percentage drops.

Each draft prospect carries with them a variance of outcomes. Some players fall in the high floor/low ceiling bucket, and those prospects are typically safer picks that could develop to be contributors for a team but offer limited upside.

Then there are the players that fall in the low floor/high ceiling bucket that are more often referred to as boom or bust. Those are the prospects that it is easy to fall in love with, but could also end up breaking your heart.

Browns Boom or Bust prospect No. 4: Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse

Cleveland clearly appears to be in the market to draft a running back in what looks to be a deep class in 2023. One of the prospects they could be eyeing is Sean Tucker, a highly athletic ball carrier for the Syracuse Orangemen.

Tucker fits all of the parameters the Browns look for in a prospect from an athletic profile. He is 21 years old and was highly productive in college, carrying the ball 589 times for 3,182 yards and 27 touchdowns. Tucker checks all the boxes from a height, weight, and speed prospective.

Tucker is five-foot-nine and 207 pounds. However, the running back was flagged medically and was unable to test at the combine or Syracuse’s pro day. But Tucker took it upon himself to get his measurables out to the world, conducting his own pro day and putting it out on Twitter for the world to see.

Even if you take his self-documented pro day as 100% legitimate, there is still an issue that makes him a boom or bust candidate…the tape. Tucker has the goods physically, but his tape displays glaring issues that make it difficult to believe in his ability to transition into being a dependable back at the next level.

Tucker has a tendency to not trust his offensive line, and/or the play design, and often creates negative plays where a gain could have been achieved. The game only speeds up at the next level and if Tucker lacked the vision for the collegiate ranks, it could be tough sledding for him going forward.

But Tucker’s most glaring weakness is in the passing game, in both protection and receiving. Tucker was a flat-out liability in pass pro at times and lost opportunities because of it. As a receiver, Tucker did not display reliable hands and often attempted to catch the ball with his body. That is a huge negative in the NFL and it is hard to project Tucker being anything more than a two down back.

For a team like the Browns that are attempting to evolve into a pass first attack, adding a player like Tucker seems to have more risk than rewards. But homerun hitters like Tucker will always intrigue front offices and coaching staffs, especially when they are available on day three. Is the ‘Orangemen’s’ juice worth the squeeze?