WUNKLE ON WUNKLE: PRE 2021 NFL DRAFT EDITION

We’ve finally made it to the weekend before the draft, and there are still pre-draft day trades going on. In the latest move, the Kansas City Chiefs have acquired young veteran offensive left tackle Orlando Brown from the Baltimore Ravens. In the trade, the Chiefs send Baltimore their first (No. 31), third (No. 94) and fourth (No. 136) round picks this year plus their 2022 fifth round selection in exchange for Brown, the Ravens’ second round pick (No. 58) this year and their 2022 sixth round pick. This trade was first reported by Adam Schefter. How does this affect who’s going where in the draft? We’ll just have to wait and see, but it’s pretty plain to see that the Ravens need to draft an offensive tackle early; possibly with the first-round pick from Kansas City. Maybe they’ll bundle picks to select one of the top two in this draft.

Now that the headlines are out of the way, we have a special guest on the Padded Cell Hotline. He is brownsfootballtalk.com’s Senior NFL Draft Analyst; the one and only, Mr. Bill Wunkle. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today, Bill. How are things in the Padded Cell these days?

Just another day in paradise, my friend. The information and misinformation are flying through the airwaves and electronic media as if it’s nobody else’s business.

The draft seems to be revolving around the quarterback position because it’s a quarterback driven league. Fortunately, the Browns have their franchise quarterback and are picking late in the first round. But for those who’ve been following the draft talk, could you give us your thoughts on the top five prospects in the current QB draft class?

I’d be glad to. There’s been so much talk surrounding Trevor Lawrence since he walked onto the Clemson campus that you’d think he’d fed five thousand men, plus the women and children, with five barley loaves and two fishes. To say that he’s a “generational talent” is a bit of a stretch, though. What he does have is good size, arm strength, mobility and the ability to read defenses. He is a long strider with his throwing motion, though. Where he gets into trouble is when he tries to step into his throw while there’s pressure right in his face. When that happens, he loses zip and accuracy. All that being said, he appears to be the best QB prospect of this year’s class.

It appears by most pundits that Zach Wilson is the next to go off the board. Some are already calling him Zach’s 5^th Avenue and other references to New York. And while he moves very fluidly and has a loose and lively arm; the schedule he faced was not exactly something to write home about. In fact, the only time he faced any fairly consistent pressure was when BYU played Coastal Carolina; which is not exactly power five competition. Does this mean that his QB traits won’t translate well at the NFL level? Absolutely not. What I am saying is that he’s going to need some time to get accustomed to the speed of the NFL game. Will he go second overall to the New York Jest? Quite possibly. Would it be a mistake for the Jets to take him second overall? Maybe, maybe not. I do think that there are better options out there, though. However, this cold be a great fit for the Shanahan-esque offensive scheme the Jets will be employing this year.

Justin Fields has been my number two ranked QB in this draft for two seasons now, and nothing has changed my opinion on that in this offseason. He’s who I have the Jets taking second overall in my mock draft, and I’ll stick to my guns until I see otherwise with my own two eyes. He has good size, great escape ability, a lively and accurate arm that can make the deep throw. He loves to study film and he’s a leader. All that talk about him being the last one in the building and the first to leave was nothing short of slanderous misinformation spread by someone who wants to see him slide on draft night. If you’re going to put out that kind of crap, at least have the balls to put your name to it.

North Dakota State’s Trey Lance is an interesting quarterback prospect. In 2019, he threw 28 touchdowns with zero interceptions over the course of a sixteen-game schedule; including the National Championship game against James Madison. He didn’t throw a pick until the only game he played in 2020 against Central Arkansas. By the way . . . even though Lance struggled during parts of that game, he still managed to lead his team to the victory. Trey Lance’s qualities are very similar to those of Justin Fields. The two big differences are (a) the level of competition and (b) Lance has the most experience of all the quarterback in a conventional NFL style offense. What I mean by that is he’s worked in an offensive system where (1) the quarterback is taking snaps from under center and (2) a true fullback is used regularly. Many would describe it as a West Coast system, and I would say that’s a pretty fair description.

Mac Jones is a very accurate thrower with good size and a strong arm, a short strider and the ability to read defenses well. What he lacks is the athletic ability that any of the other top quarterbacks have. He’s very comfortable in the pocket, but does not move well, nor does he work well outside of structure where he has to improvise because of extra pressure.

Is there any other first round prospect at the quarterback position?

If you mean to ask, “Is there another QB prospect that’s worthy of a first round pick?” I’d have to say no. Is there another prospect at the position that could be drafted late in the first round? Possibly, but it would be such a reach that I really can’t see it happening. Davis Mills out of Stanford has some nice qualities, but he really should have stayed in school for another year.

Is there a position in this draft that’s markedly weaker than the rest?

I’d have to say that defensive tackle is pretty thin. There is no dominant pass rushing defensive end as well. Some at the top are very solid, but I don’t think that any of them are going to be compared to a Myles Garrett, a Lawrence Taylor (although he played 3-4 OLB) or a Bruce Smith in terms of immediateimpact.

How do you see the first round going for the Browns on Thursday night?

I see a few possible scenarios. The Browns have nine picks during draft weekend and there are not nine open roster spots. So, that tells me that, for the first time in quite some time, the Browns might be willing to bundle some picks move up in the first and/or second rounds. In the first, I could see them moving up to grab a Patrick Surtain II or a Jaycee Horn to (a) nail down the other starting corner spot and (b) allow Greedy Williams the opportunity to fully heal before competing for that spot. I could also see Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley sliding to 26^th overall because of his injury history and the Browns could take him there. I could also see a scenario where Andrew Berry could draft at 26^th and then trade back into the first for a second player he would like to have a 5^th year option to exercise. I can also see them moving back – possibly even out of the first round – to pick up additional draft capital, perhaps another second this year because there are only so many players this year with a true first round talent grade. If they were to acquire another second, I can see them going after a Landon Dickerson or one of the wide receivers. JC Tretter isn’t getting any younger. And although I understand that the Browns really like Nate Harris, I think that AB might be looking at someone who can effectively play both guard and center.

Are there any other players you think that the Browns could be looking at in the top of the draft?

There are some . . . Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Tulsa’s Zaven Collins, Georgia’s Tyson Campbell, Kentucky’s Jamin Davis and Syracuse’s Ifeatu Melifonwu. There are others, but I don’t want to give you too big of a list.

Does that mean you don’t see the Browns taking a receiver in the first round?

Their board will determine who they will select. If the best player on their board is a wide receiver, then they’ll take him at 26 and let the chips fall where they may. That’s what the really good teams do, and the Browns are finally a really good team. They’ve positioned themselves in such a way that they don’t necessarily have to focus on any one position early.

And that does it for this edition of Wunkle on Wunkle. Have a great weekend, everybody; and GO BROWNS!