As the 2015 NFL Draft nears, ClevelandBrowns.com is ramping up its coverage to ensure fans know everything about the team's potential picks.
The Browns have two of them in the first round, of course, so there's plenty of turf to cover.
"Browns draft radar" will give you a glimpse at the nearly two dozen names being mentioned in the same breath as the Cleveland Browns. Today, we dive into a wide receiver who saw his stock rise greatly after the NFL Combine.
Vitals: 6-2, 217 pounds
Who's linking him to the Browns?
Why the Browns would be interested: This applies to any receiver who projects as a first-round pick. Though Cleveland addressed the position heavily in free agency with the additions of Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline, there's still some space in the Browns receivers room for a young, big-play threat who could potentially be a staple as the team's No. 1 target for years to come. Strong, a Philadelphia native, put up consistently big numbers in his two seasons with the Sun Devils, racking up 2,287 yards and 17 touchdowns while reeling off a number of big plays. He has prototypical size for a No. 1 wide receiver and carries the confidence teams like at the position. Though he hasn't been lumped together with top-three wide receivers Kevin White, Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker, he believes he belongs with them.
Why he could be around at 12: It'd be a shock to see Strong off the board by 12. And at 19, when the Browns are poised to make their second of two first-round picks, there's good reason to believe he'll still be there. Once White, Cooper and Parker are off the board, there's expected to be a bit of a lull with wide receivers flying off the board. The emergence of UCF's Breshad Perriman and the risk/reward allure of Dorial Green-Beckham could also bump Strong down to the Browns or beyond.
Why he won't be around at 12 or 19: Again, 12 is not the concern. The team in front of the Browns, Kansas City, could throw a wrench into everything when it pertains to Strong because the Chiefs are in the market for another play-making wide receiver to team alongside Jeremy Maclin. Another team that could potentially beef up at wide receiver is Miami, which traded No. 1 target Mike Wallace to the Vikings and released Hartline. The Dolphins have the 14th pick.
Stat to know: Strong had a reception of 20 yards or longer in 10 of the 12 games he played in 2014.
Quote to note: "That's just an honor. He's going to finish as one of the greatest receivers ever to play this game. I can't wait to get to the NFL and see how we match up." - Strong, on the frequent comparisons of him to Larry Fitzgerald.
The last time: … Arizona State had a wide receiver selected in the first round was Aaron Cox, who went 20th to the Los Angeles Rams in 1988.
