Picks in, jury still out on Browns

The good thing about having the National Football League Draft in April is that it gives Cleveland Browns fans a few months to go bananas over the marvelous selections made by the team’s top brass.

The bad thing about having the National Football League Draft in April is that it gives Cleveland Browns fans a few months to go bananas over the marvelous selections made by the team’s top brass.

Such is the nature of the double-edged sword that takes a swipe at the hopes — and naivety — of those who just can’t wait to upgrade their favorite pro team to “playoff lock” status and perhaps even “Super Bowl contender.”

Here’s hoping the seven prospects landed in the recent made-for-TV draft can indeed help resurrect the trust of all who bleed Orange and Brown up there by the lake and also the high-wire act of quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The picks may be in, but the verdict is still out — a fact those itching to drink the Kool-Aid (again) must keep in mind. It can be assumed GM Andrew Berry and new head coach Kevin Stefanski were steadfast in their processes, yet we all have been warned of the danger of the ass-u-me word.

Please don’t clear out space for the Lombardi Trophy just yet.

The NFL experts generally awarded high grades to the Browns’ overall 2020 draft effort. One Cleveland-area broadcaster went so far as to call Berry “the star of the show,” and another reported the Browns had “resolved their problem at left tackle” by making Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, Jr. their first-round pick.

“All” Wills needs to do to give Mayfield ample blind-side protection — and make new acquaintance Joe Thomas proud — is to adjust his skill set to playing at the left tackle position instead of the right tackle spot that made him a Crimson Tide star and first-rounder. People who know tons more than the average Joe seem to think the transition can, and will, be seamless.

That Wills will become one of those first-round busts seems highly improbable. The truth is he’ll likely be a starter come Week 1, whenever that actually happens. The science of “blocking” the coronavirus pandemic is still in labs worldwide.

One other thing about how Wills can influence the Browns’ offense: Don’t think for a minute Mayfield and his receivers will be the lone beneficiaries of the rookie in the trenches. Nick Chubb, the NFL’s second-leading rusher a year ago, is sure to benefit from Wills’ presence, as is Kareem Hunt.

Thanks to the second-round selection of LSU safety Grant Delpit, along with Missouri defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and LSU linebacker Jacob Phillips in the third, Cleveland’s “D” should be better at getting off the field more quickly. Delpit was a standout sophomore whose junior season was partially derailed by a high-ankle sprain. To his credit, Delpit played despite the injury because he desperately wanted to be one of the cogs in the Tigers’ national-championship run, led by No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow.

The roles of Florida Atlantic tight end Harrison Bryant (fourth round), Washington guard Nick Harris (fifth round) and Michigan wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (sixth round) will be works-in-progress, but again, trusting the instincts of Berry and Stefanski means the three have a good chance to survive cut-down day.

If he comes through, we can always forgive Peoples-Jones for choosing to wear a Wolverines uniform.

Draft picks aside, it’s fair to surmise the Browns will be a better team simply because of the changes organizationally. The depth chart also finds reinstated defensive end Myles Garrett back in the fold. His actions that resulted in a six-game suspension last season took a devastating — often miscalculated — toll on the franchise’s playoff agenda.

So go ahead, Browns fans. Go bananas.

Just go easy on the Kool-Aid.

Ratings don't lie

The television audience for the virtual 2020 NFL Draft was nothing short of miraculous. Quarantined, sports-starved viewers watched in record numbers for two nights and a third-day marathon of Roger Goodell and Mel Kiper.

On opening night, there was an average audience of 15.6 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes and digital channels, according to the league. The previous high was 12.4 million viewers in 2014. There was a 37 percent increase in viewership from last year’s draft.

From a technical and production standpoint, the show was a history-making feat devoid of noticeable glitches. Though many sought to delay the draft because of COVID-19 complications, the league’s decision to proceed as scheduled was more than justified. Kudos to the NFL for its charity fundraising effort as well.

Should the draft ever need to be aired in this format again, one improvement might be to eliminate the shots of Goodell begging for boos and egging on screens full of screaming fans. OK, it was creative and fun at first, and it was good to give fans an opportunity to be involved. Yet the novelty wore off considerably after a few picks were read.

Not revealing

I used to think NFL preseason games, barring an injury to a key player, were un-newsworthy and therefore not fit for broadcast on television. Yet the league has come up with something even more futile: uniform reveals.

For the most part, the “new” unies aren’t new at all. What is it we really expect to see, Tom Brady in Creamsicle bloomers? At least the Bucs finally ditched those wacky inter-galactic jersey numerals.

For my money, best helmets ever: Cincinnati Bengals.