1st Round (#7) CB Joe Haden Florida
Key Player(s) Passed On: DE/OLB Brandon Graham
Analysis: The Browns finished 31st in total defense last year and have defensive needs everywhere. Haden was the 2010 NFL Draft’s best cornerback and should be a quality NFL corner. The former Gator is physical for his size and very competitive. Haden will improve the Browns’ secondary, but he may not have been the best choice. Cleveland is very weak at outside linebacker and do not have a fearsome pass rush. They also struggle to stop the run. The Browns run a 3-4 defense, but do not have a LaMarr Woodley or a DeMarcus Ware causing havoc. PFDN rated Brandon Graham higher than Joe Haden. We think he could have been Cleveland’s version of LaMarr Woodley. Graham is also not a scheme-specific player. He is stout enough against the run to play defensive end in the 4-3. Cleveland’s defense will be soft until they dramatically upgrade their front-seven talent. Haden was not a big mistake, but the Browns’ current outside linebackers (David Bowens, Matt Roth, Chris Gocong and David Veikune) are nothing to get excited about. We do not see how a team can have a terrific 3-4 defense without at least one impact outside linebacker.
2nd Round (#38) S T.J. Ward, Oregon
Key Player(s) Passed On: QB Jimmy Clausen
Analysis: Ward is a tough and physical safety who is better at hitting and tackling than defending the pass. He should be a standout on special teams and help in run support. However, Ward is not a big man and has had his share of injuries. How much he helps the Browns in coverage remains to be seen. Safety was an area of need, but so was quarterback. The Browns are a mess at quarterback because they missed with Brady Quinn (1st round, 2007 NFL Draft). Cleveland was perhaps gun-shy to take another Notre Dame quarterback (and Charlie Weis pupil) this high. We think they made a mistake because Clausen is more accurate and has a better arm than Quinn. The Browns are not going to win many games until they find a quality quarterback.
2nd Round (#59) RB Montario Hardesty, Tennessee
Key Player(s) Passed On: WR Golden Tate
Analysis: You can find backs like Hardesty later in the draft. He is a determined runner, but lacks a special trait in our opinion. Hardesty was hurt a lot in college and only had one (his senior year) productive season. He is not an explosive running back and never averaged more than 4.8 yards per carry at Tennessee. Hardesty showed up at the NFL Scouting Combine weighing 10 pounds more than expected. He also ran the Forty in 4.49 seconds and had a vertical jump of 41”. His impressive numbers and helped him get drafted in the 2nd round. We think his draft stock rose too much based upon workouts. Hardesty is not a game-breaker and takes a lot of punishment. He will have the opportunity to carry the ball a lot in Cleveland. The Browns do not have much of a passing attack and Jerome Harrison is too small to carry a heavy workload. The Browns need playmakers at wide receiver. You can nit-pick Golden Tate’s route running, but he is quick, tough, strong and a serious threat after making the catch. PFDN thought that the Browns passing attack could have used a wideout who can turn a short completion into a big play.
3rd Round (#85) QB Colt McCoy, Texas
Key Player(s) Passed On: WR Eric Decker
Analysis: The Browns desperately need to find their quarterback of the future. PFDN evaluated Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen as the only two quarterbacks in the 2010 NFL Draft that can be quality-starting quarterbacks in the NFL. McCoy’s accuracy in college is misleading because the vast majority of his passes were safe, short throws. His completion percentage dropped and his interceptions rose when he attempted more challenging throws downfield. McCoy was an excellent quarterback in college and won a lot of games with the talent that surrounded him at Texas. However, the NFL is a different game and McCoy will not be able to dink and dunk his way to touchdowns. We think McCoy has some physical limitations as an NFL quarterback. His arm strength is average at best and he struggled at times reading college defenses. He really looks like a marginal game-manager type of quarterback who will need a strong running game and a stingy defense to carry him. There were better prospects available than McCoy, but we certainly understand why the Browns selected McCoy. We believe the Browns will be in the quarterback market again in 3-4 years after McCoy has his share of struggles.
3rd Round (#92) G Shawn Lauvao, Arizona State
Key Player(s) Passed On: TE Dennis Pitta, TE Aaron Hernandez
Analysis: Lauvao has the potential to be a solid reserve, but he is not a powerful run blocker. What about adding some more firepower to the receiving core? The Browns signed Ben Watson, but they do not have a promising young tight end on their roster. Pitta and Hernandez are attractive pass-receiving tight ends.
5th Round (#160) S Larry Asante, Nebraska
Key Player (s) Passed On: S Reshad Jones
Analysis: Asante is a physical strong safety who can help in run support and on special teams. He has limitations in coverage and could be an attractive target to isolate by the opposing offense. Overall, Asante was a decent selection. Reshad Jones can play free or strong safety. He has more potential to make some plays in pass coverage than Asante does. However, Jones can be very inconsistent and Eric Mangini likely felt that Asante was the safer pick.
6th Round (#177) WR Carlton Mitchell, South Florida
Key Player(s) Passed On: WR Dezmon Briscoe
Analysis: Mitchell has size and speed, but does not look natural as a receiver. He is not a crisp route runner and does not high point the ball consistently. Mitchell is a straight-line type of receiver who does not change directions quickly. Briscoe may not have great speed, but he accelerates well and is dangerous running with the ball after making the catch. Briscoe finds the end zone and catches the slant well. He slipped in the draft due to his immaturity and lack of focus. Briscoe likely was not a good fit for Mangini’s personality. However, if he matures he looks like he would be a better receiver than Mitchell.
6th Round (#186) DE Clifton Geathers, South Carolina
Key Player(s) Passed On: RB Jonathan Dwyer
Analysis: Geathers has the frame and long arms to be a 3-4 defensive end. He should have stayed in school for his senior year, but he was not interested. Geathers needs a lot of technique work and his dedication to the game is suspect. The Browns have a bunch of running backs (Jerome Harrison, Montario Hardesty and James Davis), but Dwyer is too good of a prospect to pass up in the 6th round. Hardesty and Davis both have a history of injuries and none of Cleveland's backs are proven in the NFL. Cleveland needs all hands on deck for the running game or they are in big trouble on offense this season. The bottom line is Dwyer is a much better prospect than Geathers, in our opinion.
Bottom Line: The Browns missed on several opportunities to select some quality prospects. Joe Haden is a good player, but the Browns front seven on defense is not going to scare anybody. Cleveland still lacks explosive playmakers on offense and we do not believe that Colt McCoy is the long-term answer at quarterback. This draft did not lay a foundation for future playoff success. It looks like another season of Josh Cribbs heroics on special teams and 4 or 5 wins.
Draft Grade: C
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