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The Cleveland Browns traded down from No. 8 overall during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft Thursday night. When they were on the clock at No. 15, they had their choice of which wide receiver they wanted to go with, and they took WR Corey Coleman out of Baylor.
In the table below, you will find grades for Cleveland's first round from around the web. Each website is linked if you'd like to read more details about why the picks were graded the way they were, or if you want to see how other NFL teams compared with their grades.
| Site | Grade |
Notes from Website on Grade |
| SB Nation | B- | The Browns have needs everywhere, so of course they got a starter here. The issue is that the Browns already have some smaller, speedy receivers on the roster. But in Hue Jackson's deep-ball offense, Coleman is a fit. I just have a couple receivers rated higher than Coleman, so that dings the grade a little bit. |
| Sports Illustrated | B | Coleman is unquestionably the most explosive receiver in this class, with the ability to flat-out smoke anyone covering him. In addition, and surprisingly enough for a pure spread offense like Baylor's, he does have a natural sense of route development. Most likely, Cleveland will have to work with what he can do in the short term, while teaching him the full route tree over time. Is he a No. 1 receiver in the Antonio Brown mold? That's a stretch, and it's hard to rationalize this pick with Josh Doctson still on the board. But this guy can really fly. |
| Bleacher Report | A | Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III knows all about Baylor receivers, of course. Coleman is more of a long-range pick than an immediate star, but the Browns traded down twice, stockpiled picks and still got the receiver they had at the top of their board. So this is a win for them. |
| NFL.com | B | Connecting Robert Griffin III with another ex-Baylor player, Corey Coleman, makes a lot of sense. Getting four extra picks to move down eight spots is a good deal, if you buy into the "more is more" theory when it comes to accumulating selections. Only capitalizing on the extra selections will make it a great deal. |
| Pro Football Focus | A | Our top receiver is off the board as Corey Coleman goes to Cleveland. He’s dynamic both before and after the catch, capable of separating as well as any receiver in the draft and then taking it to the house after he catches it. Coleman posted a ridiculous 4.88 yards per route (best in the nation) before a poor quarterback situation hurt his production. His 10 drops are cause for some concern, but not nearly enough to offset what he brings to the table as both a short and deep threat. Even with his limited experience running a number of routes in Baylor’s offense, Coleman has all of the skills to separate on any type of route once he transitions to the NFL. |
| Yahoo Sports | B+ | The Browns' new regime has had a hard time hiding its love for Coleman, maybe the most explosive receiver in this draft. Fans might get nervous about hearing another Baylor receiver is coming to town, but there is almost no character concern about Coleman, who has overcome a lot in his life. He needs a quarterback, but maybe he and (former Baylor) QB Robert Griffin III can connect on some bombs. Coleman has great speed; drops have been his biggest bugaboo. |
| USA Today | B | Coleman adds speed and run-after-the-catch ability to a Browns receiving corps that lacks both. New coach Hue Jackson is one of the more creative play-callers in the league and will have no problem getting Coleman the ball in space. That will allow him to still be productive while learning how to run NFL routes. |
| CBS Sports | C | I would have gone with another receiver or another position. They need receiver help, but this is the wrong one. |
| Average | B+ | Using a GPA scale, grade converted to a 3.125. Rounded up to B+. |
Chris Pokorny's Grade
Before the draft, if you would have told me that OT Laremy Tunsil was going to fall to the Browns at No. 8, I would have taken him, as evidenced by my mock draft. The "bong hit in a gas mask" video that surfaced just minutes before the start of the draft obviously threw the pick into question. Given the fact that he passed his drug tests in college, I probably would have taken him to give the club who I feel was the best player in the draft. But, I understand why the Browns decided not to go that route, and they had a good excuse: they've been all about acquiring assets, so for moving down to No. 15 overall, they picked up another 3rd rounder in 2016 and a 2nd rounder in 2017.
With all of that, the Browns gauged the wide receiver market correctly and nabbed the first receiver off the board. Although he wasn't the top available receiver on my personal big board, the difference of the top three receivers (Treadwell, Doctson, and Coleman) was almost negligible -- at the end of the day, I trust Hue Jackson's belief of which receiver he can utilize the best, so Coleman is perfectly fine in my book. Before the draft, it was pointed out that the analytics support the selection of Coleman over the other receivers too.
Even though the Browns passed on the top available player on my board, LB Myles Jack, so did everyone else, which sets them up to either take him at the start of Day 2, or trade down and acquire more assets from someone who does want him. When the Browns were on the clock at No. 8, all the top players on my board besides Tunsil and Jack were gone, and in that scenario, I preferred trading down for a receiver. Credit to Sashi Brown and company for handling the situation calmly, so I have to come away giving them a high grade for the first round. Grade: A-
How would you grade the Browns' first round?