Needham spent the last six seasons with the Dolphins. He signed with the team after going undrafted in 2019 and he started 27 of the 63 regular season games he played in Miami, although only two of the appearances came in 2024.

Needham had 200 tackles, six interceptions, three sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery with the Dolphins.

Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, Martin Emerson, Tony Brown, Chigozie Anusiem, Myles Harden, Anthony Kendall, and Cameron Mitchell are the other corners in Cleveland.

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So they sign this guy 3 days before the draft.  When we're supposed to be drafting a WR/CB in round 1.  And ahead of the undrafted guys from this week's draft.  (they must like him.....he averages 1 INT per season)

@jax said:

I just get the feeling of being really good at both but not reaching his full potential at either if duty is split

Jack of all trades, master of none.  ( I love old sayings )

If we pick him, I would want him as a WR.  And if they want to use him in some dime situations that's fine.  The Patriots used to do that with Troy Brown.  But picking him would not stop me from drafting another WR.  I mean, if he's that good on D, then he can be a backup to Hospital Ward (HW per ballpeen).  And if he has to man that position for an extended period of time I'd want to have another capable WR to take many of his offensive snaps away.  I'd want Hunter concentrating on D at that point.  -  We just cannot put ourselves in a position where if Hunter gets hurt, we're hurting at 2 positions.  

@jax said:

I take back what I said though my only concern was having a player that's really good on both sides of the ball. 

I just get the feeling of being really good at both but not reaching his full potential at either if duty is split in any manner.

I seen somewhere the Browns look at him as a WR 1st, so as a WR only, is that worth the 2nd pick for 'our' team?

You did a nice job explaining where you are coming from on it.  I'm sure a lot of this has been discussed by the Browns; and it will continue to be if/when they select him. Whoever drafts him will have a plan they feel is best for Hunter and their team.  He's got God-givens that a high percentage of his teammates/opponents wish they had.  What I like is the guy seems addicted to competing at a sport he loves.  Giddy up and get after it while it's fresh. ?

@orion said:

I could live with that.  But if he's going to go in there on D, he's going to have to practice on D and attend the meetings when possible.  We can't have someone out there that's not on the same page causing someone to be wide open.  

Contract issues that I mentioned won't be an issue for a few years anyway.

Thanks for reminding me Orion - the Browns need to upgrade their 2nd and 3rd best Corners as well as at least 1 of the Safety spots while Grant Delpit continues to make rookie-like mistakes and lack communication skills at the worst of times.  This is a Jim Thorpe Award winner just continues to struggle with the complexity of the NFL.  I don't think effort or athleticism is his problem.

If you ever get a chance watch some highlights of the Browns - Chargers game last year.  There were some plays our pass rush brought the pressure on Herbert and he still had guys wide open down field for uncontested TD passes (2 of them accounting for 14 points).  Knowing how often we need 3 corners out there - you can't have 2 of them struggling consistently. You fix that and we don't have people talking bout the need for a 2nd Myles Garrett needed. Back when the Browns had Dixon and Minnifield - this team made it to AFC Championship games without 1 Myles Garrett.  FWIW, the edge rush was a weakness while the D ranked 1st against the run in the AFC in 86 when the regular season ended with a 12-4 record. 

This team has a lot of needs that can't all be addressed in 1 draft; but I'm hoping the FO & scouting department better be a lot more competitive bringing in Undrafted FAs.  

@orion said:

I could live with that.  But if he's going to go in there on D, he's going to have to practice on D and attend the meetings when possible.  We can't have someone out there that's not on the same page causing someone to be wide open.  

Contract issues that I mentioned won't be an issue for a few years anyway.

I get that.

I also mentioned that Tyvus Powell, who played with Richard Sherman in Seattle, said that if he could do one of the things without spending a ton of time sitting in meetings, its play defensive back. It would help that the other dbacks on this team are entering their third season in the same scheme.

@dutch-oven said:

play Hunter at WR full-time and CB part-time

I could live with that.  But if he's going to go in there on D, he's going to have to practice on D and attend the meetings when possible.  We can't have someone out there that's not on the same page causing someone to be wide open.  

Contract issues that I mentioned won't be an issue for a few years anyway.

I just get the feeling of being really good at both but not reaching his full potential at either if duty is split in any manner.

I seen somewhere the Browns look at him as a WR 1st, so as a WR only, is that worth the 2nd pick for 'our' team?

@flugel said:

Anyway, I see Hunter as a generational talent with a refreshing attitude of wanting to help his team as much as he's capable of doing so.  If he was announcing "I only want to do this; but I don't want to do that" - then I'd worry about a bad attitude.  Like always, I could be wrong with that.

Everything I've heard about Hunter (unlike his teammate Shedeur) has pointed to him being a good teammate and a good character guy. I'm not concerned with him regarding off-the-field stuff. 

I think the Browns should allow him to sit in on the offensive meetings full-time and let him play CB on passing downs. Tyvus Powell of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show talked about how much easier it would be for him to go this way, than opposite. 

I went looking for the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show I watched yesterday where Powell explained why he would play Hunter at WR full-time and CB part-time, and how he could skip a lot of the defensive meetings and have his teammates basically tell him on the field "We are running So-and-So defense, they are in this formation, watch for this concept out of it" so he could contribute defensively too. Can't find the video, of course. 

@orion said:

I just feel that Hunter could be a problem child.  He wants to tell the teams where to play him.  So, ok, you play him on both sides of the ball.  Eventually he's going to want to be paid a lot more than anyone else because he plays both sides.  But a team could avoid that with the 5th year option and franchise tags and stuff if they wanted.  -  Trade out.  Let someone else deal with it.  Then draft a good WR & a CB (if you like) with the picks that you get.  

After watching the last 4 years of Jed Wills contract end without 1 memory of him breaking a sweat - I don't think it's a bad attitude for a guy that wants to offer as much help as he can be to a team.  When I played football for 10 years, like a lot of my peers - I started on both sides of the ball until the JV level put us on 1 side of the ball other. There were 600 kids in my class at the time (a lot of hotties too that had no interest in your buddy Flugel).  On Varsity we had 100 kids try out so they actually had to cut kids. Anyway, when I dwindled all the way down to being just an OG on 1 side of the ball - 50% less repetitions on game day conceivably cut my chances of getting injured in half right?  Well, I made it all the way through our regular season without getting injured until our very last hitting practice before our Sectional Playoff Game. 

All that to say the thought process that starting both ways doubles your chances of injury is very misleading.  From the time I was 8 until my very last game - I never saw a lot of teammates with serious injuries sidelining them for even as much as a game or 2.  In fact, when I look at the NFL restrictions on how they can practice today - I've never seen higher incidences of injuries.  Anyone that plays fantasy football knows exactly what I'm talking about  - if they even needed ff to see this after witnessing the volume of injuries this team has had in recent years.  

Anyway, I see Hunter as a generational talent with a refreshing attitude of wanting to help his team as much as he's capable of doing so.  If he was announcing "I only want to do this; but I don't want to do that" - then I'd worry about a bad attitude.  Like always, I could be wrong with that.

@orion said:

I just feel that Hunter could be a problem child.  He wants to tell the teams where to play him.  So, ok, you play him on both sides of the ball.  Eventually he's going to want to be paid a lot more than anyone else because he plays both sides.  But a team could avoid that with the 5th year option and franchise tags and stuff if they wanted.  -  Trade out.  Let someone else deal with it.  Then draft a good WR & a CB (if you like) with the picks that you get.  

I don't feel good about taking Hunter.

@jcam222 said:

Realistically he is not playing both ways in the NFL or at least very limited.  As such you have to evaluate him as a WR or CB only.  In my opinion elite pass rush trumps both of those at #2 in the draft.  As long as Carter's health checks out he's the right pick imo 

There's a running play on this video above where Minnesota LT Aireontae Ersery drives #11 about 8-10 yards downfield by the time it's whistled dead. I have yet to see 1 guy in the NFL do this to Myles Garrett; so I'm gonna hold off on putting Carter in the same class as Garrett (which I feel drafting him at #2 overall does).

Yes, Carter can pass rush.  But, if he's vulnerable against the run when he puts a hand down on the edge - opposing running games are gonna come a lookin and a liken.  They ain't gonna waste time testing his pass rush skills until he has proven he can stop the run 1st.  

All that said, if we put him in a 2 point stance off the line of scrimmage - he could be a good replacement for JOK (whom we didn't draft until round 2) with ideal blitz skills. 

@syd said:

hasnt his problem been mostly concussions ? so I believe just as long as he doesnt try to tackle someone like Barkley (JOK) he will be just fine

im kionda stoed. their problem's are not my problems

Routes look crisp but I’d probably see 8-10 offensive snaps and maybe a late game punt return or two 

@dutch-oven said:

I didn't mean that as a knock against Hunter's size in general, but more of a "I doubt homie is built to handle that much physical contact in the NFL" statement.

Do you think Berry saying he sees Hunter as being a WR first as some kind of smokescreen, since it seems everyone thinks of him as a CB first, WR second? 

I think he'll play some both ways, possibly more than anyone we've seen since Concrete Chuck Bednarik played center and linebacker into the 60s... I just think eventually he becomes one or the other, for all intents and porpoises. 

Possibly.  The WR crop this year isn't what is was in previous seasons.  So an attempt to inflate his value as a WR might serve the Browns well if someone wants to trade up to #2 for Hunter.  

@dutch-oven said:

Because he's not exactly a stout young man, actually he's built a lot like Denzel Ward

hasnt his problem been mostly concussions ? so I believe just as long as he doesnt try to tackle someone like Barkley (JOK) he will be just fine

@tiamat63 said:

 6ft 190lbs is about par the course for your average NFL corner.   Denzel is slightly below average height and weight.  

 But I agree with you on Hunter *not* playing both sides in the NFL.   He might get a play or two here and there, but this return to ironman, 2 way star football hype is delusional.  The game isn't that any more and he isn't so transcendent of an athlete that he could make it work beyond a gadget play.    He'll primarily be a DB in the NFL.

 It's the same thing the media raved on with Patrick Peterson and then with Jabrill Peppers.    Peterson took 8-10 snaps one season on offense and I believe that was his career high.    To date I don't believe Peppers has taken a single one. 

I didn't mean that as a knock against Hunter's size in general, but more of a "I doubt homie is built to handle that much physical contact in the NFL" statement.

Do you think Berry saying he sees Hunter as being a WR first as some kind of smokescreen, since it seems everyone thinks of him as a CB first, WR second? 

I think he'll play some both ways, possibly more than anyone we've seen since Concrete Chuck Bednarik played center and linebacker into the 60s... I just think eventually he becomes one or the other, for all intents and porpoises. 

@dutch-oven said:

IMO, one has to look at him and say: 

"Is Hunter at CB alone worth the #2 overall pick? Is Hunter at WR alone worth the #2 overall pick?"

Because he's not exactly a stout young man, actually he's built a lot like Denzel Ward.

I question long-term how much he actually plays both sides in the NFL. 

 6ft 190lbs is about par the course for your average NFL corner.   Denzel is slightly below average height and weight.  

 But I agree with you on Hunter *not* playing both sides in the NFL.   He might get a play or two here and there, but this return to ironman, 2 way star football hype is delusional.  The game isn't that any more and he isn't so transcendent of an athlete that he could make it work beyond a gadget play.    He'll primarily be a DB in the NFL.

 It's the same thing the media raved on with Patrick Peterson and then with Jabrill Peppers.    Peterson took 8-10 snaps one season on offense and I believe that was his career high.    To date I don't believe Peppers has taken a single one. 

"Is Hunter at CB alone worth the #2 overall pick? Is Hunter at WR alone worth the #2 overall pick?"

Because he's not exactly a stout young man, actually he's built a lot like Denzel Ward.

I question long-term how much he actually plays both sides in the NFL.