Cleveland Browns 7-round mock draft

Round 2: Tyler Boyd, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh

The Browns picked up receiver Dwayne Bowe from the Kansas City Chiefs. He has had minimal impact on the team this year, totaling a dismal 31 yards and routinely being a healthy scratch on game days. Though Brian Hartline, Gary Barnridge, and Travis Benjamin have played reasonably well, more depth at wide receiver would make sense. The 2016 draft will be rife with acceptable candidates who can make a difference from day one, so the Browns will have talented options even in the second round of the draft.

Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Tyler Boyd is a 6’2″, 200-pound athlete who can stand up to some of the taller cornerbacks in the league with both his size and craftiness. He has good hands and is versatile, able to play in the slot and outside.

While at Pitt, he broke Larry Fitzgerald’s record for receptions and yardage as a freshman, tallying 1,174 yards on 85 receptions. His sophomore year was even more productive. That year, he totaled 1,261 yards and became the second Pitt receiver to have two 1,000-yard seasons. (Fitzgerald is the other.) Boyd’s best 2015 game was against Iowa (12-1), where he caught 10 passes for 131 yards.

One downside to Boyd could be off-field character issues, which include a DUI charge. He also had a drop off in productivity during the 2015 season, but that should not dissuade the Browns from considering him as an addition to the team’s wide receiver corps.

Boyd will provide a short-term solution by adding depth at the position, but he will also represent a less short-sided approach to acquiring talent. While the team does have some reliable receivers now, developing Boyd could provide them help now, and a real star in the future.

Next: Round 3: CB Kendall Fuller