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We've been hearing nothing but praise about undrafted free agent Chris Faulk so far. Faulk, an offensive tackle who was teammates at LSU with Barkevious Mingo, previously said that at least 20 teams tried to sign him following the draft. Then, in an interview by the Akron Beacon Journal on Saturday, Mingo said that Faulk...was better than some of the first-round left tackles in April's draft:
Mingo insisted Faulk gave him a tougher test than two of the top-rated prospects at the position in this year’s draft — D.J. Fluker of the San Diego Chargers, the No. 11 overall pick from Alabama, and Luke Joeckel of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the No. 2 overall selection from Texas A&M.
"I’m not saying it just because he’s a teammate, but in my opinion, he was better than those guys. ... From D.J., he was faster on his feet, more athletic. ... Joeckel is a very athletic guy as well, but I think Chris was just a stronger guy. He was a stronger body. He was stronger with his punch."
Why didn't Faulk get drafted if he was so good? Teams didn't want to take a risk after he missed most of last season with a knee injury. Faulk could not participate in rookie minicamp as he still recovers, but he should be ready-to-go for minicamp. If he is anything like Mingo says he is, could the Browns end up finding a spot for him somewhere besides the tackle position?