Currently our 2025 first round pick is....

calfoxwc

@orion said:

So take the WR at 6 then. He won't help the run game by blocking big fat guys, but he attacks our other huge need.

yeah, it's a tough choice. If you take an OT, you have Mauigoa, Fano, Dunker and Lomu. (I'm not big on Proctor)

My top four wr's = Tate, Boston, Bell and Brazell - big wr

I think Downs is going to go to the Giants right before the Browns pick.

At some point, the Browns will draft a qb.

Mark Grobowski or Sawyer Robertson.

This draft will be crazy.

SdBacker80

@flugel said:

All kidding/jousting aside - good to hear. I'm in the Tampa area so life is great here as well. Sundays are tough on all of us so I hear ya.

Last year at this time I wasn't even looking at prospects yet. This year I got so frustrated with the offense, I just started looking at what I felt were the biggest weaknesses up against the draft's supply and demand before the season even ended. Do I dare say - at least they won't draft 2 QBs again?

Two QBs Never again. Day 3 why not. I feel like if you aren’t stable at the position you try once each season.

tiamat63

@ibleedbrown said:

I wondered who you might like in the IU trenches. Coogan transferred from Notre Dame. Do you think Smith has the feet to stick at OT or is he another “might be better as a Guard” guy?

Sorry for the delay on this. Been a busy start to 2026. I'll have Coogan wrapped up & a report for him on Wednesday.

edit: Drafting a line of Center names, one I saw from the Senior Bowl that I'm pushing up the Queue is Hecht from Kstate.

Orion

@tiamat63 said:

I'm pushing up the Queue is Hecht from Kstate.

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tiamat63

@orion said:

So middle-to-late 6th, is the current mock?

Orion

@tiamat63 said:

So middle-to-late 6th, is the current mock?

Well, that's where I got him in Dutch's draft simulator thread.

Flugel

@tiamat63 said:

So middle-to-late 6th, is the current mock?

We have young Wypler Snapper from a previous round 6 who's progress was interrupted with a season ending injury in the 2024 preseason. Once he gets a volume of reps under his belt - I think the confidence and perception of him will get better. He'd be a guy I'd like to watch more of on the discord with you; because I just don't get the in-depth opportunities to evaluate his play watching it on tv. It was nice to see him get more opportunities to play in 2025.

This isn't aimed at you - but I'm not gonna join anyone that thinks Dawand Jones coming off 3 consecutive IR visits followed by surgeries is the answer at LT; especially when the elite college football program that gave him a full ride didn't want him at LT. I trust their judgment. I can only imagine Bill Callahan's 1st impression of him when he showed up way overweight to his 1st NFL Training Camp "this is how this guy prepared for his dream job?"

tiamat63

@orion said:

Well, that's where I got him in Dutch's draft simulator thread.

I think he'll test *a little* light at the combine. But if the current projection is late R6, I'm ready to bump him up at least a full round.

Especially for teams that love to pull their center. Dude had wheels along with great balance.

tiamat63

@flugel said:

We have young Wypler Snapper from a previous round 6 who's progress was interrupted with a season ending injury in the 2024 preseason. Once he gets a volume of reps under his belt - I think the confidence and perception of him will get better. He'd be a guy I'd like to watch more of on the discord with you; because I just don't get the in-depth opportunities to evaluate his play watching it on tv. It was nice to see him get more opportunities to play in 2025.

This isn't aimed at you - but I'm not gonna join anyone that thinks Dawand Jones coming off 3 consecutive IR visits followed by surgeries is the answer at LT; especially when the elite college football program that gave him a full ride didn't want him at LT. I trust their judgment. I can only imagine Bill Callahan's 1st impression of him when he showed up way overweight to his 1st NFL Training Camp "this is how this guy prepared for his dream job?"

"Hope is not a strategy"

Wypler is coming off injury, but a lot of what concerns me with him isn't injury related so much as it would be mentals. Plus, he's a mid day 3 pick. That isn't much skin off the Browns back rostering Luke & taking another shot at day 3 C that shows some great potential.

Orion

@tiamat63 said:

I think he'll test *a little* light ........... Dude had wheels along with great balance.

There's usually that trade-off. Lighter faster, heavier slower.

Flugel

@tiamat63 said:

"Hope is not a strategy"

Wypler is coming off injury, but a lot of what concerns me with him isn't injury related so much as it would be mentals. Plus, he's a mid day 3 pick. That isn't much skin off the Browns back rostering Luke & taking another shot at day 3 C that shows some great potential.

"Hope is not a strategy?" Isn't that why I replied I don't want Dawand Jones penciled at LT here especially after 3 consecutive IR lists followed by surgeries for him? There is no football Wizard of Oz putting football hearts in hollow chests; so showing up to a very 1st NFL Training Camp over 400 Lbs is the type of guy you want to lecture with hope is not a strategy.

As for Wypler, he's also on the roster so there's been some time invested in him. The Browns fully understanding the time and patience of starting a 6th round guy immediately - remained more comfortable starting the well paid veteran Ethan Pocic here. I didn't draft Wypler or make any premature conclusions good or bad about him in cameo fill-in opportunities; but I liked when/where they drafted him in round 6. Again, a season ending injury in the 2024 preseason ended/wiped out 1 year of experience. I liked what I've recently seen from him in very limited duty near the end of the season despite some of the inevitable growing pains that accompanied this late round draft pick in his first cluster of game action in 2025 with steady improvements witnessed with each start. The consistency will come with experience. I have ZERO problem with taking another shot at a day 3 Center like the one you mentioned you're researching in Kansas State's Sam Hecht especially if he can also help us at OG if Pocic remains the Center or beats out Wypler at Center

tiamat63

@flugel said:

"Hope is not a strategy?" Isn't that why I replied I don't want Dawand Jones penciled at LT here especially after 3 consecutive IR lists followed by surgeries for him?

I was referring to the Browns brass, whose strategy has been to "hope" DJ stays healthy. We're of the same mind here.

@flugel said:

As for Wypler, he's also on the roster so there's been some time invested in him. The Browns fully understanding the time and patience of starting a 6th round guy immediately - remained more comfortable starting the well paid veteran Ethan Pocic here. I didn't draft Wypler or make any premature conclusions good or bad about him in cameo fill-in opportunities; but I liked when/where they drafted him in round 6. Again, a season ending injury in the 2024 preseason ended/wiped out 1 year of experience. I liked what I've recently seen from him in very limited duty near the end of the season despite some of the inevitable growing pains that accompanied this late round draft pick in his first cluster of game action in 2025 with steady improvements witnessed with each start. The consistency will come with experience. I have ZERO problem with taking another shot at a day 3 Center like the one you mentioned you're researching in Kansas State's Sam Hecht especially if he can also help us at OG if Pocic remains the Center or beats out Wypler at Center

Again, I think we're of the same mind - save for liking what we saw with Wypler. Your interpretation is a bit more... forgiving... then mine is. That's the Lineman in ya, bubs.

Flugel

@calfoxwc said:

If Jones can get healthy and get back to LT, it matters.

and "projects as a guard at the next level" only matters if it is definitely true.

Wirfs was talked about as being a T or G.

Mauigoa has been compared to Penei Sewell, OT, Detroit lions.

"Francis Mauigoa has been compared to NFL offensive tackle Penei Sewell, noted for their similar size and athletic abilities. Both players have shown strong potential in their respective college careers."

Penei was taken with the 7th overall pick in the first round.

https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/news/francis-mauigoa-2026-nfl-draft-prospect-profile-grades-rank-measurements

***************************

"

Penei Sewell

Nfl Biography

Penei Elama Sewell is an American Samoan professional football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, winning the Outland and Morris trophies in 2019. Sewell was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Lions in the first round in the 2021 NFL draft. He earned four Pro Bowl selections from 2022 to 2025, and was a first-team All-Pro in 2023, 2024, and 2025. He is the brother of Nephi and Noah Sewell, who both have also played professional football. Continued in Wikipedia"

Enjoyed this post - Thanks!

Only 1 Devil's Advocate ? to caution in. When a John Deere Tractor never receives any preventive maintenance to keep its ability to function well - it's gonna breakdown and end up in the repair shop. The analogy here is the big feller isn't putting in the off-season strength and conditioning that an NFL caliber professional needs to perform at the optimal level in NFL like LT needs to succeed. Sound conditioning programs also strive to improve/maintain flexibility. Each of the last 3 seasons he showed up out of shape (albeit he at least tried better nutrition the last year) - he ended up on IR followed by surgeries. That's a lot of depreciation to stay comfortable penciling in the same guy with the same process.

In summary, strike 1 + strike 2 + strike 3 puts another batter in the box. I think it's a good idea to try to bring in a promising rookie at LT like a guy we both seem to like Caleb Lomu. In any draft that welcomes upside and best football ahead - this is my guy. Coming off his redshirt sophomore season - he improved quite a bit from his previous year. He needs to keep working on his strength and add more weight onto that 6'6" frame. Until Lomu's 1st starting season as a red-shirt Freshman -Spencer Fano was the starting LT. When Lomu won the starting LT position - Spencer Fano was now able to play the RT position most suitable for all the success he enjoyed doing so as the 2025 Outland Trophy Winner. Utah had one of the top Olines in college football, which is why their HC Kyle Whittingham was just hired to coach our biggest enemy in college football at Missedagain.