DraftCountdown.com's Scott Wright lends insight into Browns draft

By Don Delco and Aaron Ziraks
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writers

After a few months of using Scott Wright’s DraftCountdown.com for help with our mock draft, we decided to scheduled a little one-on-one time with Wright and ask him some direct questions.

Wright was kind enough to talk with us Thursday night. Yes, it was during the first quarter of the Cavs game. Thank God for DVR.

NOTE: Also, don't forget to check back later this week for our interview with Matt Bowen of the National Football Post.

Click "Read More" for the complete interview with Wright.

NoLogoNeeded.com: You have the Browns taking Michael Crabtree with the fifth pick in your mock draft. Is that based on the Browns trading Braylon Edwards?

Wright: The main emphasis behind that pick is I do think they’re going to trade Braylon Edwards and end up going to the Giants. Both sides are motivated to make that deal. I do think it’ll happen. 

There’s no rush to make a deal. It doesn’t have to happen tonight, but by the time the draft comes around, he’ll be a Giant.

There are quite a lot of moves that the Browns are rumored to be making. 

NoLogoNeeded.com: That leads us to the buzz that has the Browns taking USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. The Browns have not made it a secret there is going to be a quarterback competition. If there’s a competition, they are not completely in love with either one of their quarterbacks. Is there a chance Eric Mangini gets his own guy in here?

Wright: I have heard Mark Sanchez is a possibility for the Browns. It sounds like more and more he won’t be there. It might be a moot point. Sanchez visited the Browns and went over film for four hours with Mangini. It’s a lot of work to put in for a smokescreen. There is a lot of interest there.

I have also heard the Browns have a first-round pick on the table for Brady Quinn. I’m a huge Brady Quinn fan and I think he’s got a raw deal. He has gotten limited opportunity. I’d stick with Quinn, but if the chance there is a first-round pick offer for Quinn, I can see the Browns doing that. Again, it could be a moot point if Sanchez goes No. 3 or No. 4.

NoLogoNeeded.com: By all accounts, Aaron Curry is the No. 1 linebacker prospect.  What is it about him that makes this true?  He played OLB in college in a 4-3 but wasn't a pass rusher.  How does this fit in a 3-4 at OLB?  He also projects as an ILB in the 3-4. What about him makes sense to take a player in the top five and change his position? 

Wright: That’s the big question mark the Chiefs and Browns have to ask themselves about Aaron Curry. He was a 4-3 outside linebacker in college and in the 3-4 he has to play inside. I don’t know if (inside linebacker) is a big need for the Browns. They have D’Qwell Jackson and signed Eric Barton, but they need an impact edge pass rusher. They need (Brian) Orakpo, not Curry. Curry is not an inside 3-4 linebacker. There are a few negatives associated with Curry and it’s that he’s not an elite pass rusher and blitzer.

NoLogoNeeded.com: About Orakpo. We don’t think Eric Mangini will take him because he reminds the Browns coach too much of Vernon Gholston. 

Wright: There are a lot of similarities between the two.

NoLogoNeeded.com: The Browns need an edge rusher and that’s not a surprise to anybody. If the Browns do go with Crabtree, who can the Browns target in the second round with their two picks? 

Wright: Also in regards to Orakpo, you can say that Mangini didn’t have a good experience with Gholston and may shy away, on the other hand he was in love with Gholston and liked him enough to take him sixth overall in the draft. Mangini has history of taking players like that.

Assuming they draft Crabtree, there is value in the second round with a 3-4 outside linebacker. The value there starts to drop off in the late second, early third round. I think there is a chance to draft so many of those hybrid types in this draft. There is a good chance, (Northern Illinois' Larry) English could go in the top 20, but he can also slip. (Virginia's) Clint Sintim is another guy in round two. The nice thing about them is you both have players who played 3-4 in college, they are a few of the programs that do. That helps them in that regard. 

Connor Barwin, from Cincinnati, can be a Mike Vrable-type player. He’s raw and more of a project. He’s more of an option at No. 50 than at the top of the second round.

Lawrence Sidbury, from Richmond, is the top player from the small schools. He can go in the second round. He had a great workout at the scouting combine.

Cody Brown (Connecticut) is also an option in the late second, early third round. 

NoLogoNeeded.com: You think an Edwards trade will happen, but what about the other trade rumors like Quinn or someone moving to the Browns' No. 5 spot? Will there be a lot of moves or is it a big smoke screen?

Wright: There are always more rumors than actual trades. Where you’ll see action is mid-to-late first round as the cost becomes more palatable. I think the Kansas City Chiefs have a good chance of moving out of the three spot. They really want to move out of there especially if they get a reasonable offer, they’ll kick out of there.

I do think veterans will be on the move before the week ends.

Look for Tony Gonzalez being traded to the Falcons. The wild card is Julius Peppers. He’s unhappy, he's a huge cap number and there are talks the Panthers might move him. 

NoLogoNeeded.com: With the loss of Sean Jones, the Browns are weak at strong safety.  In your mock draft, they miss out on Louis Delmas, William Moore, and Patrick Chung.  You have them taking Rashad Johnson.  Are there any middle round players that could step in and play at strong safety?

Wright: There are talks that (Ohio State's) Malcolm Jenkins is a possibility in the first round. In the second round, look for a guy like (Western Michigan's Louis) Delmas, but I don’t think he’ll be there. Also, there is (Missouri's) William Moore, (Oregon's Patrick) Chung, (Alabama's Rashad) Johnson and (Wake Forest's) Chip Vaughn, but he is more of a free safety. 

In the mid-rounds, Mike Hamlin from Clemson and Curtis Taylor from LSU are possibilities. This is a good draft for safeties. There isn’t an elite guy at the top, but once you get to the second round the value gets a lot better.

NoLogoNeeded.com: William Moore had a remarkable 2007. Is he a steal in the second round? 

Wright: Coming into his senior year, he was thought to be a top-ten pick. People need to re-evaluate their expectations of him. He had a great junior year with eight picks and is a great talent whose big, physical and can come into the box and stop the run. He was also thought to be able to drop back and be a playmaker in coverage. He had eight interceptions as a junior, but one in each of his other three years. Which is an aberration? He’s not a dynamic, all-around, but if you want an in-the-box strong safety he’ll excel in that role. There’s good vaule in the second round if that’s what you want.

  April 21, 2009 at 11:30 PM