The Cleveland Browns really, really need someone for their multitude of quarterbacks to throw to. While Terrelle Pryor is great, he can’t make every play for the Browns. Additionally, their receiving corps as a whole is much too small by NFL standards. Looking directly at you, Andrew Hawkins. Most fans describe wide receivers as a whole as “divas.” However, there is really something to say about a receiver that just goes out there and gets things done. Cleveland’s team needs a big, reliable receiver that can be both a leader and a go-to playmaker. So who fits the bill for the Browns in this year’s draft class? Enter Western Michigan’s prolific receiver, Corey Davis.
Why the Cleveland Browns Should Draft Corey Davis
Physical Size
Corey Davis, by wide receiver standards, is massive. Standing at 6’3, he has the size to make plays over cornerbacks that try to defend him. Davis might weigh 213 pounds, but his acceleration is second to none. Davis has both incredible speed and exceptional size. He is big enough to bowl you over, but quick enough to blow you away.
While Davis can outplay defenders, he can also bowl right over them. His strength is simply tremendous. Davis’ size will give NFL coaches some serious headaches if the Browns use him right. Since defending him will require double coverage, Davis has the ability to open up the field. By eating up a safety or linebacker, Davis takes pressure off of Corey Coleman and Terrelle Pryor.
Head On Straight
Remember the last time the Browns had a receiver like this? His name was Josh Gordon. When the Browns picked Gordon in the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft, Cleveland fans had some high hopes. At 6’3, 225, Gordon was a freak of nature, much like Davis. However, he had one fatal flaw. Josh Gordon had absolutely no integrity, which ultimately led to his downfall. On multiple occasions, Gordon ran into problems with NFL’s drug policy. After a plethora of suspensions, the Browns treated their locker room cancer by cutting Gordon during the 2016 season.
Corey Davis is just like Josh Gordon, except he actually has some sense. Along with his incredible football smarts, Davis excels in the “common sense” department. His head is on straight, and he possesses a positive character. He can be a locker room leader in Cleveland and give them some inspiration and direction. Davis is a sort of leader that the Browns desperately need.
Winning Culture
“Culture” is a word that Browns fans tend to use when talking about their team. The futility in Cleveland has created an atrocious locker room culture. Even Joe Thomas, a sure-fire hall of famer on the Browns, could not seem to escape the negative mentality in 2016. A nearly winless season will weigh on the minds of even the best players. The Browns need a culture shift in their locker room, and they need it fast. Fortunately, the positivity of Corey Davis is downright infectious. As a great “locker room guy”, Davis has the same effect on his teammates.
In 2016, the Western Michigan Broncos went on an absolute tear through college football. As a member of the Mid-American Conference, the Broncos went 12-0 in the regular season. They defeated the Ohio Bobcats in the MAC Conference Championship, and their only loss was to the eighth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in the Cotton Bowl. Corey Davis became a leader during the 2016 season and brought about the locker room positivity in Kalamazoo. He can absolutely do the same for the Browns in 2017. Maybe not a nearly undefeated season, but he can definitely spark a change.
Conclusion and Pro Comparison
Corey Davis is a massive man of a wide receiver, and he’s smart in more ways than one. He can be both a locker room leader and a reliable option for Browns quarterbacks for years to come. Davis has the potential to bring the winds of change to Cleveland’s locker room and finally get the Browns on the right track. He’s a great player and perhaps even a better man.
Davis is a lot like Denver’s Demaryius Thomas. They are both big receivers who can run like speedsters and bowl over defenders. They both know the game very well, and they can make a fool of whoever dares defend them. Thomas is a serious playmaker, and perhaps Davis can be the same in Cleveland.
That kind of dynamic playmaking ability will undoubtedly help an inept quarterback, and the Browns have plenty of those. His potential is through the roof, and Davis is ready to come in and immediately make an impact both on and off the field. Corey Davis is ready for stardom wherever he goes, including Cleveland, Ohio.
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