The Browns draft figured to be full of surprises because they would be looking to make trades to get more choices, and from that standpoint it was. GM George Kokinis engineered three deals on Saturday that netted the team three more draft picks, and they got out of the fifth pick which would have cost them a ton of cash.
However, it was stunning that WR Braylon Edwards remains on the team, they still have two quarterbacks because they failed to deal either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson, and they chose not to improve their porous defense through the draft, instead, they received two possible starters in the trade with the New York Jets (who else?) in DE Kenyon Coleman and S Abram Elam.
The draft pick of California C Alex Mack isn’t all that surprising because the Browns were definitely interested in him, and Hank Fraley is not the center you want if you plan on running the ball. However, WR Brian Robiskie might have been a little bit of a reach at #36. Robiskie might have been there at #50 or #52. I like the Ohio State product, he has good size and good hands, but I wish there would have been more of an emphasis on defense at that choice.
To follow that pick up with another WR in Mohammed Massaquoi from Georgia is really puzzling, unless a trade involving Edwards is still in the talking stage. Massaquoi is a good blocker and another possession receiver, the same as Robiskie. With their third pick in the second round, the Browns finally took a defensive player in David Veikune, a DE from Hawaii, who will be moved to OLB. He didn’t start until his senior year, and is regarded as a project at best.
It appears that Eric Mangini is putting his defensive eggs in his former players’ basket, as the Browns now will have three new defensive starters from the Jets. That would be great if the Jets led the NFL in total defense last season, but they didn’t, they ranked 16th in the NFL, right in the middle of the pack. It’s not like the Browns’ holdovers will add to much, although NT Shaun Rogers and ILB D’Qwell Jackson could have started for the Jets and helped them.
The Browns did emphasize defense on the second day of the draft, choosing only one offensive player, Clemson RB James Davis, on Sunday. The rest of their picks were to get help at cornerback and linebacker, most notably USC LB Kaluka Maiava. However, all of the defensive players they drafted this weekend will likely only be special teams contributors in the 2009 season.
They also went for smart football players. Mack won the Draddy Award for being college football’s best student athlete, and Robiskie was a finalist for the same award. After seeing some of the dumb penalties and guys lining up in the wrong spot, I guess this is an upgrade.
The biggest problem with the Browns’ draft was that they had a chance to add a player who could become the leader of the defensive unit, and they didn’t do it. Perhaps they thought the only player who could be that guy was Aaron Curry, so they decided to build the line and the receiving corps. Alex Mack will help and will start from day one, so should Robiskie. However, the defense needs an upgrade, and all they have added are serviceable players, no impact defenders.
It looks like another year for the bend, but don’t break philosophy.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 
Baeu Bell, Alex Hall, Leon Williams, Louis Leonard and Ahtyba Rubin are guys who probably weighed into Coach Mangini’s decision not to go crazy on defense through the draft…. Let’s hope it pays off."
I like Hall and I wish Bell got more of a look last year, but Hall is the only one who could be an impact player.
I do agree with you about Alex Hall, and Beau Bell just needs to stay healthy. Leon Williams seemed very confused by Romeo Crennel’s defensive philosophy but the guy has size and athleticism; if used properly, he could be very effective in blitzing situations. Louis Leonard is a guy who showed flashes of talent but lacks speed and needs to improve his strength. Ahtyba Rubin is a project who has the potential to replace Shaun Rogers sometime down the road. It will be up to Rob Ryan to put all these guys in position to be most effective. He is a defensive coordinator who knows how to force turnovers and shutdown the passing game but his defensive have struggled to stop the run in the past. That has to change here in Cleveland.