Cleveland Browns - AFC North, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects
Cleveland Browns
The Draft Was
... Terrific considering the Browns got Brady Quinn last
year with the 22nd pick. Quinn likely would've been the first
quarterback taken this year, and might have gone No. 1 overall.
LB Beau Bell and TE Martin Rucker were ultra-productive college
players who could've gone much higher. Best Value Pick: Beau Bell, LB UNLV. 4th Round. A hot
player in many scouting circles, Bell, if healthy, could turn
out to be the most productive linebacker in the draft. He could
do for the Browns what Kirk Morrison has done with the Raiders. Biggest Reach: Paul Hubbard, WR Wisconsin. 6th Round.
Hubbard isn't a bad chance to take in the sixth round, but he's
a pick based on what he should be, not what he is. Never
healthy, he can't be counted on to be more than an occasional
deep threat. They Should've ... Gotten a running back. With the
back-to-back picks in the sixth round, Michigan's Mike Hart
would've been worth a shot over Hubbard. A corner would've
helped, but there simply weren't enough draft picks to make too
many calls.
#
Pick
5
104
4th Round
(from Dallas)
Beau Bell, LB UNLV
It would've been interesting to have seen him at the Combine,
but a knee injury suffered at the Senior Bowl kept him under
wraps. He needs to get in better overall shape and he needs a
lot of work on his overall technique and skills, but once he
gets some NFL conditioning the upside is limitless. It can play
either inside or out, can rush the passer or hold up against a
power running game, and he was great last year against the pass.
He's a huge hitter. A HUGE hitter. CFN Projection: Second Round CFN
Position Rank: 6
12
111
4th Round
(from Chicago)
Martin Rucker, TE Missouri
The ultra-productive Tiger star was used in a variety of ways
including on fake special teams plays and occasionally as a
runner; he's that kind of an athlete in a 6-5, 251-pound body.
He hasn't had to be a consistent blocker and he'll drop a ball
or two, but he has the experience to grow into an H-back role
and become a go-to target. CFN Projection: Third Round
CFN Position Rank: 5
24
190
6th Round
Ahtyba Rubin, DT Iowa State
Really big at 6-2 and 315 pounds, he's a nose tackle who'll sit
in the middle of a line and occupy two and three blockers while
everyone else works. Now he has to learn how to handle the
double team and still make plays. He doesn't always play to his
size and he won't get in the backfield, but he has upside. He
also has a major downside. If he doesn't want it enough, he's
not going to stick around for more than ten minutes. CFN Projection: Late Third Round to Early
Fourth CFN
Position Rank: 13
25
191
6th Round
(from trade) Paul Hubbard, WR Wisconsin
He looks the part and he should've been a major factor in the
Badger offense, but he wasn't. An elite all-around athlete with
sub-4.6 speed in a 6-3, 221-pound frame, he was a track star for
Wisconsin excelling mostly at the triple jump and the long jump.
He's not a natural receiver, but if someone wants to put in the
time and the investment and work on him for a year, he has the
tools to be a nightmare of a mismatch for most defensive backs.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round to Free AgentCFN
Position Rank: 30
24
231
7th Round
Alex Hall, DE St. Augustine's
The former tight end has a ton of potential if he gets into an
NFL weight-room and if he has a coach looking to spend the time
to work on the basic skills. At 6-5 and 219 pounds, he has a lot
of room to get bigger and stronger, but he's a very quick
producer, at least at the lower level, who has to turn himself
into a harder worker. Basically, he has to become a gym rat. CFN Projection: Sixth Round CFN
Position Rank: 23
