NFL Combine may not change mind, but it should clarify opinions on some possibilities and create some questions about others.
Ohio State receiver Garrett Wilson had the Goldilocks combination when he was likely to become the Cleveland Browns. it was right. The draft isn't too hot to lift the boards up and is definitely out of range for pick number 13. It's not too cold for anyone to doubt where he'll deserve a 13th pick for the Browns.
I feel better about Wilson's chances of becoming Brown after the combination than I did before, and I was going 50-50 in Indianapolis. Wilson ran 4.38 40 which was quite fast. He measured just under 6-feet and at 183 pounds, which was 9 pounds lighter than what Ohio State listed. So a little smaller than expected. But his hands were big and his wings long for a boy of his height. He caught the pass well and his jumps and agility drills were good, but not great.
Perfect for Cleveland. He's smart and the Browns know him and that way. So he's back as my pick for Brown in this third edition of the fake draft.
Ashley Bastock, Dan LaBe, Mary Carrie Cabot and I will continue to draft Brown mocks each week, which will run through the end of April as our opinion evolves. We each did two jobs, but we took a break last week during combine reporting and observation. Now is the time to re-use what we have collected.
Here's what I think the Browns should and can do with their first four picks in Round 1-3 of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Four people now have my attention for this space, and only two of them are receivers. Earlier I said that I could not imagine how any position other than receiver would best serve Brown in the first round. But there's also a lot of appeal in the idea of an edge rusher (in a deep crop of edge rushers) in Round 1 and then a receiver in Round 2.
Four for me now are Wilson and USC receiver Drake London, and Georgia's Travan Walker and Florida State's Jermaine Johnson as the edge rushers. There is a chance that all 13 is gone, but I doubt it. Walker at this location and then a receiver in Round 2 is quite interesting.
But it can also be a fairly simple option here. If Wilson is available, he must be a boy.
Round 2, Pick 44, DT Perrian Winfrey, Oklahoma
Georgia's defensive tackle showed some insane speed and agility for his size in combination. Which is why Devonte Wyatt, a popular second-round choice for the Browns, probably needs to be forgotten. I said that in my last mock before the draft and Combine reinforced it - he's a first-round pick.
But Winfrey profiles it in a similar way. He is a pass rusher from the inside of the defensive line, but he said at the combine that Oklahoma knocked him out of a nose tackle position. So don't go with the sooners on their production. Go by his qualities. He measured about 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, and still ran 4.89 40.
He goes right into the defensive tackle rotation as he assists Rush.
Honestly, I considered going with another receiver here and doubling down. The idea of pairing Georgia big George Pickens with Wilson is tempting, and there are other very good Round 2 receivers who will help the Browns as well. I hope to see second round receivers again in future mocks
Round 3, Choose 78, DE Josh Pascal, Kentucky
I wrote about Pascal, a three-time captain and a run stopper in Kentucky. He measured about 6-3 and 268 pounds in combination, with tests that produced a good athletic score. He's not in the top tier of people on the edge, but he's firmly in the next group, with the kind of personality Brown would like. He's been a popular pick for some of the brown mocks at this location, and I think it will continue.
Round 3, Comp Pick, QB Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
It's not drafting the next Baker Mayfield for the Browns, it's drafting the next Case Keenum. Zappe is probably no better than the seventh-best QB in this draft, behind Malik Willis, Matt Coral, Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell, Kenny Pickett and Carson Strong.
I'm still concerned with Ridder, the QB I had on the back of the first round in my initial mock draft. That thought still freaks me out. But Zappe is the last of the QBs before what felt like a dropoff, so he could make sense here as the first QB drafted by the Browns since Mayfield in 2018.
He completed more than 1,200 passes in college, dodging it three seasons at Houston Baptist and last year at Western Kentucky. He is known for his ball placement and accuracy, which were considered Mayfield's strengths out of college. I want the Browns to get someone other than Mayfield or Keenum on the roster now who could be on the roster in 2023 if things don't work out with Mayfield.
I think there is some small chance of Zappe being an NFL starter, but a reliable, accurate backup on the roster who can help replace Keenum and start learning the offense is in my mind a fair use of the late third-rounder .