SBNation.com User Blog: jas.spearman

Cleveland Browns Draft Profile: Kenny Vaccaro

jas.spearman — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 21:35:08 -0000

Kenny Vaccaro (6ft, 214 lbs.) is regarded by most as the top safety prospect in this years draft. He is projected to go in the second half of the first round. So while the Browns are not in a position to draft a player of Vaccaro's caliber, it is impossible to know what will happen come draft day. So the possibility of the Browns drafting Vaccarro is unlikely, but nothing is out of the question. Safety is a fairly deep position in this years draft and FS is a need for the Browns (unless you consider Tashaun Gipson or Eric Hagg to be a viable starter). If the Browns do not draft a safety it will most likely be one of these two playing alongside Ward in the backfield. Vaccaro is a hard hitting safety who should be a fairly successful starter in the NFL.

College Career:

Vaccaro played 4 years at Texas contributing each year. As a freshman he found his fair share of playing time on defense and special teams recording 19 tackles, one forced fumble and a blocked punt.

His sophomore season he won Special Teams MVP and started 6 games at safety recording 54 tackles, one interception, seven pass break-ups, and a blocked punt.

His Junior year he became arguably the best safety in the Big-12 as he recorded 82 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, two sacks, eight pass break-ups and two interceptions.There was talk of him entering last years draft, instead he choose to stay with the Longhorns for his senior season with hopes of winning the Thorpe award, and bringing the longhorns to the BCS championship.

Unfortunately for him he succeeded at neither. The Longhorns lost 4 games and the defense struggled for the most part. Vaccaro had an amazing season despite not having many surrounding parts. He finished the season with 107 tackles, 2 interceptions, 7 passes defended , and two forced fumbles. He earned All- Conference honors and was one of the few bright spots in the Texas defense this year.

Strengths: Prototypical size and build for the position. Possesses a high-cut frame with good overall musculature. Shows very good straight-line speed, agility, balance and hip flexibility. Athleticism for coverage duties are enhanced by Vaccaro's vision and instincts. Quickly locates the ball and shows an understanding of route-progression, rarely getting caught out of position.

Often asked to drop down from his free safety position to cover the slot, demonstrating a smooth backpedal, hip turn and the burst out of his breaks to stay in the hip pocket of his opponent. Hasn't generated the number of interceptions of prior UT defensive backs, but has good ball skills and showed greater willingness to jump routes as a senior.

Highly aggressive run defender. Flies to the line in run support, demonstrating a physical pop and generally reliable open-field tackling skills. Possesses the long, strong arms for the drag-down tackle, as well as good closing speed in pursuit and on the occasional blitz.

Weaknesses: Can get out of control in his aggression toward the line of scrimmage. Will duck his head in his attempt to make the big hit and leave cut-back lanes for patient, explosive runners to take full advantage. Must do a better job of wrapping up, rather than leading with his shoulder.

Hasn't shown the consistency as ballhawk considering his hype, recording only five interceptions in 51 career games. Teams will want to ask Vaccaro about a few run-ins with authorities. He was reportedly arrested following a fight with another Texas student in 2009 and again in 2012 after failing to obey a lawful order, a misdemeanor.

Compares To: Eric Weddle, FS, San Diego Chargers -- Like the highly instinctive and versatile Weddle, Vaccaro has the athleticism and size to line up wherever his NFL team needs him most. Vaccaro hasn't yet shown the same ball skills as the Chargers' Pro Bowler but showed signs of improving in this area as a senior.

--Rob Rang

Vaccaro possesses good instincts, and is very athletic. Some of his successes and failures in college are due to the lack of surrounding parts around him at Texas. His coaching staff utilized him in anyway possible. This helped him rack up 107 tackles, but also took him away from situations where a ball-hawking safety would generate a large amount of interceptions. For perspective, he is a bit bigger than T. J Ward. He would start at free safety if the Browns drafted him and would make a good tandem with Ward in the backfield. Vaccaro would be a great addition to the Browns secondary. He would allow Horton to be less conservative with the pass rush by adding a starting caliber safety in the backfield defending hurried passes.

Combine Results:

40- yard dash (4.63)
Vertical (38.0 in)
Broad Jump (121.0 in)
3-cone drill (6.78 sec)
20-yard shuttle(4.06 sec)
Bench (15 reps)

via www.kcchiefs.com

Possibility of Browns draft Vaccaro: Highly Unlikely

The popular trade down into the early teens scenario would still make Vaccaro a reach. Vaccaro most likley is not very high on the Browns big board. (even though he is #7 on the DBN big board) Vaccaro is a great safety and will be a good starter in the NFL although I don't really see him becoming a top 10 safety in the NFL. So he falls into a category of not being good enough to be a top 10 pick and not bad enough to slide to a position where the Browns could draft him with a later pick.

The more feasible solution is that the Browns will select a safety in the later rounds, while filling more pressing needs first.

Look for names like:

Jonathan Cyprien- One of two safety's that the Browns have met with so far. He is considered by some the top safety prospect in this years draft over Vaccaro.

D.J Swearinger- A hard hitting safety out of Carolina who some relate to T.J Ward. He has also visited with the Browns. But is listed as a CB in DBN's list.

And others in no particular order:

Matt Elam

Shamarko Thomas

J.J Wilcox

Eric Reid

Bacarri Rambo

TJ McDonald

Tony Jefferson

as other safety prospects more likely to land in Cleveland.

College Career:

Vaccaro played 4 years at Texas contributing each year. As a freshman he found his fair share of playing time on defense and special teams recording 19 tackles, one forced fumble and a blocked punt.

His sophomore season he won Special Teams MVP and started 6 games at safety recording 54 tackles, one interception, seven pass break-ups, and a blocked punt.

Strengths: Prototypical size and build for the position. Possesses a high-cut frame with good overall musculature. Shows very good straight-line speed, agility, balance and hip flexibility. Athleticism for coverage duties are enhanced by Vaccaro's vision and instincts. Quickly locates the ball and shows an understanding of route-progression, rarely getting caught out of position.

Often asked to drop down from his free safety position to cover the slot, demonstrating a smooth backpedal, hip turn and the burst out of his breaks to stay in the hip pocket of his opponent. Hasn't generated the number of interceptions of prior UT defensive backs, but has good ball skills and showed greater willingness to jump routes as a senior.

Highly aggressive run defender. Flies to the line in run support, demonstrating a physical pop and generally reliable open-field tackling skills. Possesses the long, strong arms for the drag-down tackle, as well as good closing speed in pursuit and on the occasional blitz.

Weaknesses: Can get out of control in his aggression toward the line of scrimmage. Will duck his head in his attempt to make the big hit and leave cut-back lanes for patient, explosive runners to take full advantage. Must do a better job of wrapping up, rather than leading with his shoulder.

Hasn't shown the consistency as ballhawk considering his hype, recording only five interceptions in 51 career games. Teams will want to ask Vaccaro about a few run-ins with authorities. He was reportedly arrested following a fight with another Texas student in 2009 and again in 2012 after failing to obey a lawful order, a misdemeanor.

Compares To: Eric Weddle, FS, San Diego Chargers -- Like the highly instinctive and versatile Weddle, Vaccaro has the athleticism and size to line up wherever his NFL team needs him most. Vaccaro hasn't yet shown the same ball skills as the Chargers' Pro Bowler but showed signs of improving in this area as a senior.

--Rob Rang

Combine Results:

40- yard dash (4.63)
Vertical (38.0 in)
Broad Jump (121.0 in)
3-cone drill (6.78 sec)
20-yard shuttle(4.06 sec)
Bench (15 reps)

via www.kcchiefs.com

Possibility of Browns draft Vaccaro: Highly Unlikely

The more feasible solution is that the Browns will select a safety in the later rounds, while filling more pressing needs first.

Look for names like:

Jonathan Cyprien- One of two safety's that the Browns have met with so far. He is considered by some the top safety prospect in this years draft over Vaccaro.

D.J Swearinger- A hard hitting safety out of Carolina who some relate to T.J Ward. He has also visited with the Browns. But is listed as a CB in DBN's list.

And others in no particular order:

Matt Elam

Shamarko Thomas

J.J Wilcox

Eric Reid

Bacarri Rambo

TJ McDonald

Tony Jefferson

as other safety prospects more likely to land in Cleveland.

Poll

If you were a GM, would you consider drafting Vaccaro before the 20th pick in the first round?

Yes

60 votes

No

54 votes

114 votes | Poll has closed

Two Alternative Draft Options for the Browns

jas.spearman — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 02:09:11 -0000

Arguably an outside linebacker/elite pass-rusher is the Brown's biggest need this off season with the switch from a 4-3 to a 'hybrid' defense. This is liable to change after free agency of course but for now most mock drafts have the Browns selecting the same 2 or 3 OLB/DE type guys, with some having sprinkled Dee Milliner into the mix. Here are two alternative scenarios for the draft rather than drafting an OLB/DE type with the #6 overall pick.

The Zero Sack Scenario:

The Browns may choose to draft need over talent this April, however there is a player that some analysts say may be too good to pass up; Offensive Guard Chance Warmack. Recognized as one of the best guard prospects in over a decade Warmack would be an instant boon to any offensive line. With already one of the best Offensive lines in the league it is intriguing to think of the Cleveland Browns and the addition of Warmack. The Browns offensive line already consists of young talented guys. None of whom are close to retirement. The addition of Warmack would solidify the offensive line. It would become a staple in the Browns offense for close to a decade.

Warmack has a couple of NCAA championship rings on his fingers. He also is an elite run blocker who paved the way for Alabama running backs like Trent Richardson.

I like this possibility not only because of the Alex Mack-Warmack-Coach Warhop name combo but because I drool over a healthy Trent Richardson behind one of the top offensive lines in the league. I drool over a decent QB made great by Norv Turner's offense because he is basically untouched behind one of the top offensive line cores in the league. With a vertical style offense the QB needs a good amount of time to throw the ball. With this much talent in an Offensive line it is hard to imagine a QB not getting that kind of pass protection. This would make it easy for a QB to succeed/ develop.

I’ve nicknamed this the Zero Sack Scenario for two reasons. First, it would be nearly impossible for an opposing team to sack whoever the Browns throw in there at Quarterback. And second, by missing out on getting a quality OLB/DE the Browns defense would defiantly suffer in the sack column. (assuming free agency doesn't help fill that void).

via espn.go.com

Even though Chance Warmack is one of the best guard prospects in over a decade he may fall to the early teens due to the value of a guard. My dream scenario for the first round of this draft would be to trade down into the early teens in the draft, pick up a second round pick, and draft Warmack with a 10-15 overall pick. This is probably the least sexy pick the Browns can make with their first round pick, but one of the safest and most prudent. Cleveland is probably one of the few cities that recognizes and appreciates an unsexy pick such as Warmack.

The Nnamdi Asomugha Scenario:

The second idea that has me drooling is the idea of an additional shutdown corner to pair with Joe Haden. If the Moon and the stars aline correctly the slim chance of Derrel Revis coming to Cleveland may happen. The far more likely alternative to the browns getting a second elite cornerback however is in the draft.

As many Browns fans were I too was enraged at first by the hire of Lombardi. Whoever had the most influnce in his draft rooms is up for debate. Nevertheless I looked up his draft history with a skeptical eye. While most of 'his' first round picks didn't pan out; I found one pick that intrigued me; Nnamdi Asomugha. During the 2003 draft the Raiders used the 31st pick to draft him. One of the elite shutdown corners in the league today. Nnamdi was the 5th cornerback taken overall that year (behind Sammy Davis, Andre Woolfork, Marcus Trufant, and Terence Newman). You may remember the 2003 draft in terms of the AFC North with the Browns drafting Jeff Faine 21st overall. This was also the same draft class that brought Carson Palmer, Troy Polimolu and Terrel Suggs into the AFC North.

The popular choice in the draft for a shutdown corner is Dee Milliner; The elite caliber cornerback from Alabama. Although I wouldn't be screaming in my living room at my TV if this is how the Browns end up using their first round pick; the thought that makes me the most excited is the possibility of Tyrann 'Honey Badger' Mathieu being the Browns 3rd round choice. The reason why I call this the Nnamdi Asomgha possibility is not a comparison from Mathieu to Asomugha, rather the fact that they are both are/were not pre-draft commodities.Tyrann Mathieu also is what many consider to be undersized. Weighing roughly 180 lbs and is only 5 ft 9 in.(Travis Benjamin is an inch taller) Yet he may be the Russell Wilson of this draft in terms of size). During 2011 he was a/the:

Consensus All-American (2011)
First-team All-SCE (2011)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2011)
- SEC Championship Game MVP (2011)
- Chuck Bednarik Award(2011)
- Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP (2011)

via espn.go.com

(Mathieu did not play the 2012 season after testing positive for marijuana)

Those who clicked on the 'Honey Badger' link to the highlight video you'll notice that half of his highlights are him hitting the opposing quarterback (also I apologize for the profanity in the video's music).I'm not saying that this would also solve the OLB/DE need, but he defiantly is a "little man that can hit". If Ray Horton Hears a Who and is willing to take the potential risk that Mathieu would bring, it could end up in a huge steal for the Browns third round. Mathieu is a young guy (20 years old), and if he pans out, he could be a nightmare for opposing offenses for many years to come.

Lombardi was smart when he drafted Asomugha as the 5th CB in 2003. I hope that the Browns regime has this same midset. Of course this all is speculation but never the less an interesting idea. Lombardi (if he has any say) might not want to take the risk on Mathieu. He criticized the Browns pickup of Josh Gordon in the supplemental draft, calling it a "wasted draft pick". Mathieu has a similar past to Josh Gordon; both suffered reprocussions after testing positive for Marijuana in college. Maybe both will have the same fate and end up with the Browns. And although history doesn't always repeat itself if Mattieu turns out as well as Gordon did he would be an absolute steal with the third round.

Side Note- with the potential departure of Josh Cribbs- I would love to see how Travis Benjamin and Tyrann Mathieu return punts/ kickoffs. Travis Benjamin runs a 4.36, 40 yard dash, Mathieu is .17 seconds slower with a 4.51. Mathieu also held sportscenter's top play for a good chunk of time with this punt return.

This is my dream draft scenario. Will the Browns draft either of these two? Most likely not but one can always hope. Feel free to comment your own 'alternate scenarios' (by that I mean anything other than a OLB/DE pass rusher with the #6 overall pick.

The Zero Sack Scenario:

Warmack has a couple of NCAA championship rings on his fingers. He also is an elite run blocker who paved the way for Alabama running backs like Trent Richardson.

via espn.go.com

The Nnamdi Asomugha Scenario:

Consensus All-American (2011)
First-team All-SCE (2011)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2011)
- SEC Championship Game MVP (2011)
- Chuck Bednarik Award(2011)
- Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP (2011)

via espn.go.com

(Mathieu did not play the 2012 season after testing positive for marijuana)

Poll

Regardless of free agency, which of these players would you choose if the Browns draft was in your hands?

Chance Warmack

48 votes

Tyrann 'Honey Badger' Mathieu

23 votes

Both

30 votes

Neither

20 votes

121 votes | Poll has closed