The Browns got Greedy Williams, and a feel-good offseason for the franchise continued at the 2019 NFL Draft.
At this point, Browns general manager John Dorsey is on an all-time roll where everything looks like the right play. Cleveland traded its first-round pick to the Giants for Odell Beckham Jr., then traded with Indianapolis to move up in the second round to get the LSU cornerback with the No. 46 pick.
Cleveland fulfilled one of its few needs with a solid cornerback to pair with Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward, who was a first-rounder last season. Williams, who had eight interceptions and 19 pass breakups the last two seasons as an All-American cornerback, impressed with a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Williams does not lack confidence either.
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Greedy Williams: "I know one thing: that the Browns are going to the Super Bowl this year."#Browns
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) April 27, 2019
Of course, Williams did slide down the board in the second round, and cornerbacks such as Georgia's Deandre Baker and Washington's Byron Murphy were taken before him. That does create some questions about why the popular mock first-round pick fell to the next round.
One possible reason for the slide with Williams – and a question he will have to answer in Cleveland – is whether he will be physical enough at the next level. He averaged 35 tackles per season with the Tigers, and he will have a chance to answer that question in a division that features receivers such as A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, JuJu Smith-Schuster and new addition Marquise Brown.
If Williams pans out, then this is yet another steal for Dorsey, who has rebuilt the Browns from 0-16 to AFC North favorite in less than two seasons. At minimum, it's insurance for Ward, who suffered two concussions last season. Of all the positions that needed depth, this is the one that stood out most. Briean Boddy-Calhoun and EJ Gaines left via free agency, and Terrance Mitchell and Eric Murray, brought over in a trade with Kansas City, were the best options.
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Williams is another option, and the draft slide could work in his favor. He was the seventh cornerback selected in the draft. The LSU connection with Beckham and Jarvis Landry won't hurt his maturation process at the next level, and Williams will be expected to contribute on a team that has created huge expectations.
Cleveland limited quarterbacks to an 83.4 rating last season, the fifth best mark in the league. That should get better with the addition of Williams, especially with new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. This is a move that sets Williams up for success.
That spins back to Dorsey. Cleveland's first- and second-round picks under Dorsey the last two years are Baker Mayfield, Ward, Austin Corbett, Nick Chubb and Williams. Beckham was the payoff for giving a first-round pick to the Giants. Dorsey is seeing the board well, and that continued with the addition of a cornerback that was good enough to be in the first round but will play like a second-round pick with an edge.
Cleveland should like this pick a lot. We would say don't get Greedy, but it's too late for that.
The Browns are getting rich.
