Browns happy with busy Day One

04.25.2009

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The Browns may have been the busiest team on the first day of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Now that it's over, they feel like they're a better team.

The Browns made three first-round trades before selecting Cal center Alex Mack, a three-year starter who can also play guard, with the 21^st overall pick.

By the time the day ended, the team now coached by a former Browns ball boy had another former Browns ball boy -- Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie -- and two more second-round selections, Georgia wide receiver Mohamed Masaquoi and Hawaii outside linebacker David Veikune.

"I think there's a real upside to those (former ball boys)," Eric Mangini joked. "They just end up being very successful."

The Browns feel they found success Saturday by working the phones. The first trade, with the Jets, netted the Browns the second-round pick used on Veikune and three former Jets: safety Abram Elam, defensive end Kenyon Coleman and quarterback Brett Ratliff.

Mangini said Coleman and Elam "have both started in the past and will come in here competing to start again." He said Ratliff is a practice-squad success story whose best football is still ahead.

The Browns added sixth-round draft picks in trades with the Buccaneers and Eagles. They traded the 17th overall pick to Tampa Bay, moving down to 19, then moved to 21 and selected Mack.

"It was a long day, but we're excited about what we got done," Kokinis said. "We ended up going from (five picks) to eight picks, and we're excited about that.

"I'm really happy with the way the process went on in draft room. We think we accrued some good Cleveland Browns today along with a few others both Coach and I are familiar with."

Mack won the 2008 Draddy Trophy -- often called "The Academic Heisman" -- as the top scholar-athlete in college football. Robiskie was a finalist for the award.

"Alex was our highest-rated center, and there was a consensus in the draft room on him throughout whole process," Kokinis said. "This guy is the best center to fit what we want to do.

"He's tough. He's smart. He fits what we believed in."

Robiskie literally grew up with the Browns when his father, Terry, was coaching for the team from 2001-06. He starred at Chagrin Falls High School before going on to Ohio State, where he was a four-year contributor and twice an All-Big Ten selection.

Massaquoi was a three-year starter who had his best statistical year (58 catches, 920 yards, 8 touchdowns) as a senior. He also earned first-team All-SEC honors last fall.

"He's a guy that can run vertical and also work underneath," Kokinis said. "He's a good route runner; he has good quickness out of breaks. He can play inside or out.

"He caught some fastballs from Matthew Stafford. He has good hands."

Veikune had 16 sacks in his final two college seasons, 7 for Hawaii's Sugar Bowl team in 2007 and 9 as a senior last fall. He probably will play outside linebacker in the Browns' 3-4 defense.

Kokinis said Veikune "is a guy we did some homework on. He's got a big-time motor. When you look at the tape the thing really jumps out is the way he finished plays and ran to the football. He can get to the quarterback."

"I love the guy's motor," Mangini said. "He has toughness, aggressiveness and I like his ability to change direction. There's a smoothness to way he changes directions."

With seven new players added Saturday and four picks on deck for Sunday, the Browns hope they're changing the overall direction of the team. They're off to a good start.