For Pete's Sake - Senior Bowl Week
In this week's episode of For Pete's Sake, Nicole Chatham start to the discuss the 2022 NFL Draft centered around the Senior Bowl. There's plenty of discussion about prospects that could be of interest to the Browns, but there's also a conversation about ideology.
Before we get there, the past week's events had us revisit the 2016 to 2018 Browns as former head coach Hue Jackson embarrassed himself on the national state as Sashi Brown was suddenly named the Team President for the Baltimore Ravens.
Jackson decided to insert himself into the conversation started by Brian Flores with his lawsuit against three teams over hiring practices. Deciding that ownership was rooting for him to fail by giving him more time and money, Jackson suggested that the Browns ruined his career. Getting every benefit of the doubt given the gravity of the accusations, he was given multiple opportunities to make the case, but that has only enabled Jackson to look foolish, delusional.
Regarding the NFL Draft, the pandemic has produced an older class. The Browns through two drafts under Andrew Berry's leadership have not selected a single player that is even 23 years old. This class has a large pool of prospects that are at least 23 with a number of prospects that will be 24 years old before the NFL Draft.
As a result, we talk about what the goals of draft picks are and how that might shape the way the Browns could approach this class. They might be inclined to pick older prospects, but that isn't likely to happen until late day two at the earliest and likelier on day three.
One player that is 23 that is of interest to Nicole is Boye Mafe from Minnesota. An athletic pass rusher that posted elite production this year, he could be a player the Browns like in the role of Takkarist McKinley. A speedy edge rusher that can help against the plethora of quarterbacks who can extend and create with their legs, he would have a pretty specific role just as McKinley did.
If he's sitting there when the Browns are picking in round 4, they might be inclined to pull the trigger.
A player I like for McKinley's role is Myjai Sanders of Cincinnati. I make the case for him including some insight from his head coach Luke Fickell. Light, but long, athletic and productive, he could be a dynamic edge rusher that gives them that mobility and speed across from Myles Garrett in passing situations.
We discuss a number of other players that participated this week. And don't miss our in depth Super Bowl coverage.