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Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Live Blog (Day 2) - Rumors, Picks, and More

Rounds 2-3 of NFL Draft rumors for the Cleveland Browns.

By Chris Pokorny Updated

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2017 NFL Draft Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

[NOTE: FRIDAY’S LIVE BLOG CONTINUES IN A NEW ARTICLE - CLICK HERE]

It is Friday, and later tonight, rounds 2-3 in the 2017 NFL Draft will take place for the Cleveland Browns and the rest of the teams in the NFL. Because there are two rounds, it starts a little earlier today -- 7:00 PM ET. Teams will have 7 minutes to pick in round two, and only 5 minutes to pick in round three (supplemental picks will last 4 minutes).

We will have all of your Browns-related coverage on the draft here at Dawgs By Nature throughout the weekend. There will be individual posts about each draft pick that Cleveland makes, or any other relevant news. This thread will act as a "live blog" of sorts, with short one-liners about the latest small rumors, picks, or trades involving Cleveland or other NFL teams. You should also use the comments section as your NFL Draft open thread! (Newest updates will be at the top of the live blog below)

Browns NFL Draft Live Blog

[NOTE: FRIDAY’S LIVE BLOG CONTINUES IN A NEW ARTICLE - CLICK HERE]

6:20 PM: Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New York Giants were also trying to get QB Patrick Mahomes yesterday:

6:00 PM: According to ESPN, the city of Cleveland had the highest TV ratings for the NFL Draft for the fourth straight year. I’m not kidding when I say it is our Super Bowl:

Per ESPN’s press release, after Cleveland and Philly, the following markets followed: Columbus, Ohio (9.0), Greenville, S.C. (8.7), Birmingham, Ala. (7.6), Dayton (7.6), Charlotte (6.9), New Orleans (6.9), Buffalo (6.8) and Norfolk, Va. (6.6).

5:37 PM: Former NFL WR Steve Smith just ripped the shit out of QB Brock Osweiler on an NFL pre-draft show:

5:12 PM: Going off our draft tracker of Browns’ interests, two of the team’s three first round picks were on there (Garrett and Njoku). Both of them were among the group of 30 players the team had brought to Berea.

The players remaining who were brought to Berea include: QB DeShone Kizer, RB Dalvin Cook, RB Joe Mixon, WR Malachi Dupre, TE Bucky Hodges, OG Sean Harlow, DL Caleb Brantley, CB Kevin King, S Josh Jones, S Quincy Wilson, S Obi Melifonwu. With the exception of Dupre and Harlow, everyone else are expected to be drafted today.

There are also players remaining from our “workout” or “other” column, including: Among those players who could end up being drafted today: QB Davis Webb, RB Kareem Hunt, WR Dede Westbrook, TE Adam Shaheen, TE Jordan Leggett, OG Dan Feeney, OG Dion Dawkins, DE Jordan Willis, CB Teez Tabor, CB Cameron Sutton, and S Marcus Maye.

4:44 PM: Something to think about: the Jets are looking to trade DT Sheldon Richardson again. Nothing has connected him to the Browns -- this is just a report about the Jets in general.

4:42 PM: The introductory presser is complete. I don’t know if there is really much to report; this is more of a thing where you just get to know the people more. I will say that I am in awe of the confidence and personality that DE Myles Garrett has, and all three players felt a sense of belonging. They each had a feeling they were headed to Cleveland, and Njoku talked about how RB Duke Johnson and former S Tracy Howard had talked up Cleveland.

4:26 PM: The Browns’ first-round picks have been holding their introductory press conferences in Berea:

3:42 PM: Over the last 24 hours, I’ve heard reports about the Browns connected to four veteran quarterbacks on other teams. Three of those reports have had conflicting reports between different national media outlets, with the latest being about QB A.J. McCarron. ESPN’s Josina Anderson says no talks have happened with Cleveland:

Where there is smoke, there’s fire. Last night, the Browns said they would not rest until they found a quarterback. I’m bracing myself for the club to acquire someone. Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer indicated that the Patriots did not give an out-right “no” to the Browns on QB Jimmy Garoppolo, but rather a, “not enough” with respect to compensation.

3:24 PM: Over at Draft Analyst, Tony Pauline had an interesting observation of the Houston Texans’ war room after they made the trade up with the Browns and then selected QB Deshaun Watson. Things did not seem very enthusiastic:

Several years ago I wrote a story on the Houston Texans having two cards filled out the night they made Jadeveon Clowney the first pick of the 2014 draft. The other card had the name of Blake Bortles on it. I’m wondering if we’ll ever learn the real story as to what happened in the Texans war room last night.

Unlike the handshakes, hugs and backslapping that went on in other war rooms, many in Houston looked as though they had just awoken on Christmas morning and found no presents under the tree after it was announced the team traded up and selected quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watching the stone-faced expression on the face of head coach Bill O’Brien and the subdued attitude of those sitting at their desks made me and others I was with feel something was not right.

If that organization is in chaos this upcoming season, those 2018 picks the Browns have from them (in rounds 1 and 2) could make Sashi Brown and company look all-them-more like geniuses.

3:22 PM: And now, the Browns have officially released TE Gary Barnidge.

3:08 PM: Per Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Chicago Bears’ interest in QB Mitchell Trubisky was so secret that even head coach John Fox did not know about the intent to draft him until hours before the draft:

It’s also worth noting that Mike Silver of the NFL Network has been saying on Twitter that the Browns did not make a serious effort to go up to No. 2 overall, but rather there was another unnamed team that wanted to get there for Trubisky.

3:00 PM: Our story on the Browns possibly releasing TE Gary Barnidge is now up. As I state in the article, though, this smells a lot more like them trying to find a trade suitor for him.

2:47 PM: DBN Radio, led by Ezweav, is live again, talking the Browns and the draft:

2:38 PM: Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Browns and Bengals have discussed a trade for QB A.J. McCarron, but Cincinnati’s price for him is too high:

2:18 PM: Wow! I stepped away a little to do something for work (my actual work) while I’m off during the draft, and I see that the Browns are releasing TE Gary Barnidge. I’ll work up a separate story on it in a bit.

2:16 PM: According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Browns touched based with the Patriots on QB Jimmy Garoppolo again on Thursday, but were told that he’s still not available.

1:33 PM: Something to look forward to a little later: the Browns are scheduled to hold a “welcome” press conference at 4:00 PM ET in Berea for DE Myles Garrett, S Jabrill Peppers, and TE David Njoku.

1:20 PM: One more rumor from Lane Adkins of The OBR on Twitter: he says the Browns are seeking an additional second-round pick tonight.

1:18 PM: So even though we’ve heard rumors that the Browns lost out on QB Patrick Mahomes yesterday, Lane Adkins of The OBR is hearing that the Cleveland Browns were trying to move up to get QB Mitchell Trubisky and had “quite a bit of land they were open to surrendering.”

My interpretation of this is that Cleveland was probably planning to move up to No. 5 overall with the Tennessee Titans, and were stunned when Chicago moved up to No. 2 to take Trubisky. They probably didn’t even think Chicago would take him at No. 3 if he was there. It might also explain why the Titans took forever to make their pick at No. 5 — they might have been seeing if a trade of some kind was still salvageable, but when nothing materialized, they had to pick a wide receiver early.

1:15 PM: Speaking of PFF, they also just posted their Day 2 mock draft, which includes both the second and third rounds. They are the first site I’ve seen so far to have the Browns go after another defensive lineman today:

No. 52 - DL DeMarcus Walker: Walker’s biggest problem is that he lacks a true position in the NFL, which is why he isn’t off the board until now. His ideal role is as a 3-tech as an interior pass-rusher, and as a base 4-3 defensive end. When he’s on the field he makes plays though, and his 17 sacks were second-most in the nation in 2016.

No. 65 - QB Brad Kaaya: The Browns passed on quarterbacks on Day 1, but have shown that they are willing to cast the net wide to try to find their quarterback, and they snag Kaaya this time. A four-touchdown display against Pitt was the highlight of Kaaya’s final season with the Hurricanes adding another option in the Browns’ QB room.

1:10 PM: Yesterday, Pro Football Focus was providing live analysis on each pick in the first round. Let’s take a look at what they had to say about the Browns’ three first-round selections.

DE Myles Garrett

  • Garrett ranked among the nation’s top five edge defenders in all three of his seasons at Texas A&M. ... He improved his run defense in every season, grading at 87.8 in 2016 and finishing third in the country among edge defenders. ... Picked up 31 sacks, 35 QB hits, and 98 hurries on 978 rushes at Texas A&M.
  • 2016 second-round draft pick Emmanuel Ogbah was the only player on the Browns roster in 2016 to register more than seven quarterback knockdowns (sacks and hits).

S Jabrill Peppers

  • Peppers brings position flexibility: In 2016, he lined up as a free safety 67 times, as a box safety 452 times, and as a cornerback 236 times. ... He led all draft-eligible non-kickers and punters in terms of special-teams grade in 2016.
  • Peppers’ 5.9 run-stop percentage in 2016 ranked seventh among 109 qualified draft-eligible safeties. ... His 10.7 tackle efficiency rating (the number of attempted tackles made per each missed tackle) ranked 20th among 119 qualified draft-eligible safeties this season. Peppers was an especially sure tackler in coverage, missing just one tackle on 18 attempts.

TE David Njoku

  • Njoku should give the Browns formation flexibility to run two tight end sets, with him either in the slot or in-line, while Gary Barnridge stays in-line. ... Njoku’s 2.34 yards per route run ranked second among draft-eligible tight ends with at least 50 targets last season.
  • He led the nation among tight ends with 483 yards after the catch, and his 15 broken tackles were second-most at the position. ... 31 of his 43 receptions came when lined up in the slot. ... All five of his drops came on passes under 10 yards in the air from the line of scrimmage.

1:00 PM: In Dan Kadar’s 2nd round mock on SB Nation, he thinks the Browns should get CB Quincy Wilson at No. 52 overall.

12:50 PM: There are some Day 2 mock drafts, so let’s take a look at them:

DANE BRUGLER, CBS SPORTS (link)

No. 52 - QB Josh Dobbs: The Browns are expected to draft a quarterback at some point and the coaches had Dobbs in Mobile.

SCOUT INC

No. 52 - CB Sidney Jones: This isn't a pressing need with Joe Haden, Jamar Taylor and Briean Boddy-Calhoun all in the fold. Jones was our No. 12 overall prospect before tearing his Achilles at Washington's pro day. If he checks out medically, he represents an upgrade at the starting spot opposite Haden, who has had some problems staying healthy.

EMILY KAPLAN, MMQB (link)

No. 52 - S Marcus Maye: Maye can set the tone with his physicality. Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, Maye—the defense might not be bad in 2018.

No. 65 - WR Chris Godwin: The Browns have a ton of picks, but they still can use a little bit of everything. The Penn State wideout is deceptively fast and brings another playmaker to the offense.

LANCE ZIERLEIN, NFL (link)

No. 52 - CB Kevin King: Long-limbed cornerback with size and ball skills. Could be a steal here.

No. 65 - DE Tanoh Kpassagnon

12:30 PM: Here is the Cumulative DBN Big Board, following up on our previous update. The rankings for this one have been reset starting at No. 1, instead of listing their original ranking. The asterisks denote significant medical concerns.

#
Cumulative
DBN Big Board
1 DL Malik McDowell
2 S Budda Baker
3 OG Forrest Lamp
4 RB Dalvin Cook
5 OT Cam Robinson
6 CB Kevin King
7 S Obi Melifonwu
8 CB Chidobe Awuzie
9 ILB Zach Cunningham
10 CB Sidney Jones
11 DB Quincy Wilson
12 S Marcus Williams
13 OL Pat Elflein
14 RB Joe Mixon
15 CB Teez Tabor
16 QB DeShone Kizer
17 OLB Tim Williams
18 DE Caleb Brantley
19 RB Curtis Samuel
20 CB Jourdan Lewis
21 S Josh Jones
22 S Marcus Maye
23 DE Carl Lawson
24 RB Alvin Kamara
25 CB Cordrea Tankersley
26 OL Dorian Johnson
27 LB Tyus Bowser
28 DE Tarell Basham
29 WR Zay Jones
30 TE Gerald Everett
31 LB Raekwon McMillan
32 DE Chris Wormley
33 S Justin Evans
34 TE Adam Shaheen
35 RB Marcus Sanders-Williams
36 WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
37 TE Bucky Hodges
38 WR Carlos Henderson
39 OLB Ryan Anderson
40 WR Cooper Kupp
41 WR ArDarius Stewart
42 RB D'Onta Foreman
43 DL Tanoh Kpassagnon
44 QB Joshua Dobbs
45 S Desmond King
46 DL Larry Ogunjobi
47 TE Jake Butt
48 DL Montravius Adams

12:15 PM: It's time to revisit everybody's DBN Big Boards to see who is left! This will be a long update, but I think it will be worth it. I am posting eight individual big boards, and then in the next update, I will post the CUMULATIVE big board, which gives the best general consensus among the staff + community. Please keep in mind that these big boards were constructed from before the draft.

DAY 2 - PLAYERS REMAINING ON DBN DRAFT BIG BOARDS

#
Chris Pokorny		 #
Matt Wood		 #
Jon Stinchcomb		 #
rufio
14 Malik McDowell 12 Sidney Jones 14 Malik McDowell 17 Zach Cunningham
15 Budda Baker 13 Chidobe Awuzie 15 Forrest Lamp 18 Budda Baker
19 Teez Tabor 14 DeShone Kizer 20 Kevin King 20 Kevin King
28 Forrest Lamp 19 Jourdan Lewis 26 Dalvin Cook 23 Cam Robinson
32 Sidney Jones 23 Joe Mixon 30 Cam Robinson 24 Malik McDowell
33 Kevin King 24 Budda Baker 33 Tyus Bowser 25 Obi Melifonwu
35 Josh Jones 25 Malik McDowell 37 DeShone Kizer 26 Quincy Wilson
36 Quincy Wilson 26 Obi Melifonwu 39 Carl Lawson 28 Chidobe Awuzie
37 Marcus Maye 28 Dalvin Cook 40 Obi Melifonwu 31 Marlon Humphrey
38 Obi Melifonwu 32 Pat Elflein 41 Budda Baker 32 Cordrea Tankersley
39 Marcus Williams 35 Tim Williams 42 Marcus S-Williams 33 Marcus Williams
40 Justin Evans 36 Curtis Samuel 43 Curtis Samuel 35 Forrest Lamp
41 Chidobe Awuzie 37 Kevin King 44 Quincy Wilson 36 Pat Elflein
42 Taco Charlton 42 Marcus Maye 45 Marcus Maye 39 Zay Jones
43 Caleb Brantley 43 Josh Jones 46 Josh Jones 42 Carl Lawson
44 Cam Robinson 44 Carlos Henderson 47 Raekwon McMillan 44 Josh Jones
45 Cooper Kupp 45 Caleb Brantley 48 Chris Wormley 45 Raekwon McMillan
46 Bucky Hodges 46 Teez Tabor 49 Cordrea Tankersley 46 D'Onta Foreman
47 Adam Shaheen 47 Alvin Kamara 50 Tim Williams 47 Tarell Basham
48 Joshua Dobbs 48 Raekwon McMillan 48 Alvin Kamara
49 Zach Cunningham 49 Forrest Lamp 49 Chris Wormley
50 Dalvin Cook 50 Montravius Adams 50 Adam Shaheen

DAY 2 - PLAYERS REMAINING ON DBN DRAFT BIG BOARDS
#
Joe Ginley		 #
Zach Miller		 #
Josh Finney		 #
DBN Big Board
9 Dalvin Cook 13 Dalvin Cook 13 Malik McDowell 16 Dalvin Cook
13 Malik McDowell 23 Forrest Lamp 18 Marcus Williams 17 Budda Baker
18 Caleb Brantley 24 Malik McDowell 19 Cam Robinson 21 Obi Melifonwu
19 Cam Robinson 27 Obi Melifonwu 26 Forrest Lamp 23 Malik McDowell
24 Forrest Lamp 28 Budda Baker 30 Budda Baker 28 Chidobe Awuzie
27 Tim Williams 29 Joe Mixon 31 Dorian Johnson 31 Kevin King
32 Budda Baker 30 Kevin King 33 Pat Elflein 33 Cam Robinson
34 Pat Elflein 34 Chidobe Awuzie 34 Chidobe Awuzie 34 Forrest Lamp
35 Sidney Jones 35 Jourdan Lewis 37 Curtis Samuel 37 Zach Cunningham
36 Zach Cunningham 36 Tim Williams 38 Tarell Basham 38 Quincy Wilson
38 Gerald Everett 38 Quincy Wilson 39 Kevin King 39 Teez Tabor
39 Teez Tabor 39 Cam Robinson 40 Alvin Kamara 40 DeShone Kizer
41 Alvin Kamara 40 Curtis Samuel 41 Zach Cunningham 42 Joe Mixon
44 Ryan Anderson 41 Zach Cunningham 42 Joe Mixon 44 Marcus Williams
45 Marcus Maye 43 Carl Lawson 45 Teez Tabor 45 Sidney Jones
46 ArDarius Stewart 45 Chris Wormley 46 Obi Melifonwu 46 Josh Jones
47 JuJu Smith-Schuster 46 Tanoh Kpassagnon 47 Carl Lawson 47 JuJu Smith-Schuster
48 Curtis Samuel 47 Adam Shaheen 48 Larry Ogunjobi 48 Caleb Brantley
50 Jake Butt 48 Zay Jones 50 Quincy Wilson 49 Desmond King
49 Bucky Hodges 50 Zay Jones
50 Pat Elflein

12:00 PM: Good afternoon, Browns fans, and welcome to Day 2 of the NFL Draft! In case you missed it, here are a couple of Day 1 recap articles for you to kill some time with:

The Browns have 2 picks today -- No. 52 overall in the 2nd round & No. 65 overall in the 3rd round. In the next half hour or so, we’ll try to get caught up on the players who are still available on our DBN Big Boards for the Browns.

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