Syracuse left tackle Sean Hickey could be a fit at guard for the Browns (Photo: syracuse.com)
DraftBrowns.com Staff Writer: Justin Higdon
I spent the early part of last week in St. Petersburg, Florida, enjoying Ohio State’s National Championship Game victory, and soaking in East-West Shrine Game practice sessions. I stood in for two of each team’s practices, and watched the game this past Saturday afternoon. The contest was a snooze fest, but I was still able to get a solid idea of which players will potentially be available for the Browns in the middle-to-late rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft. Here are five who I think could contribute early.
Sean Hickey G Syracuse
Hickey was a three-year starter for the Orange, and saw action at right and left tackle, but he’s best suited to play guard in the NFL. He’s a fit-looking 6’6” 308 pounds, but his arms check in just south of 33” long. Hickey moves well enough in pass protection, but doesn’t have the reach to make up for a lapse. He saw plenty of reps at guard during the practice sessions, and he looked comfortable with the move. Hickey looked like a nice fit in a competition at right guard, or as a versatile backup for the Browns. He’s projected to be available in the middle part of Day Three, but I could see runs on offensive linemen pushing him as far up as the latter stages of the third round.
Derrick Lott DL University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
I had heard of Lott and done some minimal research, but I hadn’t seen him play before last Monday’s Shrine Game practice. I paid close attention to him the next day, and he beat a number of double teams to get easy pressure. In Saturday’s game, Lott made a couple of plays at the line of scrimmage, and made a hard tackle on special teams. During the season, Lott had six sacks among his 13.5 tackles for loss. He has a strong bull rush, and gives good effort trailing plays away from him. He weighed in at 6’4” and 299 pounds, with 33 1/2” arms – the size and length to line up at defensive end in Mike Pettine’s defense. In my limited viewing, Lott looks like a potential Day Two talent, but he is certain to get dinged for his age (25 this June), and could be available in the 5th-7th rounds.
Jordan Taylor WR Rice
I came to find out that I will probably come in higher on Taylor than many of my fellow analysts. For some odd reason I watched several Rice games this past season and I always came away impressed with the big, sure-handed receiver. Taylor routinely plucked the ball out of the air and away from his pads, looked athletic for his size, and showed a knack for twisting himself into position to make tough catches. In practices, he was the same player I saw on tape, though he did drop a couple of throws in the rain on Monday. He measured in at 6’4 1/2” and 204 pounds, but I was surprised to see that his hands are fairly small (9 1/8”). Regardless, this doesn’t seem to affect his game, and if Taylor tests well at the scouting combine, he may wind up in my top 100. Right now he’s projected to be available in the late rounds.
Xavier Williams DL Northern Illinois
Williams was highly productive as a senior, with eight sacks among his 14 tackles for loss. A three-year started on the defensive line for the Panthers, he also blocked a school-record five kicks as a sophomore, and two more this past season. Williams looked dominant in practices Monday and Tuesday, overpowering individual blocks and double teams, and demonstrating the strength he’d developed as a wrestler in high school. Williams is a stout 6’2” 325, and he has long arms (33 1/2”) and huge hands (10 1/4’) to help keep offensive linemen from getting into his pads. He looked maxed out physically, but at his current weight, and with his ability to occupy multiple blockers, he could be a fit at nose tackle. I expect him to be a “riser” as the draft season progresses.
Ryan Russell DL Purdue
Russell appeared ready for a breakout after the 2012 season, but he’s managed just 4.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Still, in practices he looked like a player who could have a better pro career than his college production would indicate. Russell is 6’4 1/2” and has 33 3/8” arms and 10” hands. He weighed in at just under 270 pounds, and his build and game reminded me of 2013 7th round pick Armonty Bryant. While Russell may not be quite the athlete Armonty is, the former Boilermaker looks suited to a similar role, and could be on the board in that same area of the draft.
