The Browns are reportedly very interested in former Ohio State free safety Malik Hooker, and drafting him would make a lot of sense.
The Cleveland Browns are in the middle of overhauling last year's talent-starved roster. The good news is that the team has the cap space and the draft capital to make major moves over the next two offseasons.
Cleveland is armed with five draft picks within the first 65 selections in this year's draft. Realistically, the team should be able to land three or four quality starters with those picks—and potentially a could of Pro Bowl talents. The assumption is that the Browns will use the first overall pick on former Texas A&M pass-rusher Myles Garrett. Most draft analysts view him as a future Pro Bowl-type player.
Recently, it seems, the Browns have grown interested in another defensive stud that could become a star at the pro level: Ohio State product Malik Hooker. Browns head coach Hue Jackson met with Hooker at the Ohio State pro day. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns will host the safety on Friday for a private visit.
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"The Browns, who are in need of a premier safety, are very high on the Ohio State product and are considering him in the first round of the draft," Cabot wrote. "They've spent a lot of time on him and have expressed as much interest as any team in the league, the sources said."
Adding Hooker absolutely makes sense for the Browns. Cleveland has a need at the free safety position, and many view Hooker as a player with nearly as much potential as Garrett.
NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah wrote the following of the former Buckeye:
He has the best combination of range and ball skills that I've ever seen in a college safety. His anticipation and awareness is off the charts. I wasn't in Baltimore when Ed Reed was drafted, but I arrived the following year to scout for the Ravens and spent four years around the future Hall of Famer. Hooker is the closest thing I've seen to Reed seen since I've been scouting.
The Browns know firsthand how a safety of Reed's caliber can impact a game. He victimized them in the AFC North for 11 seasons. Now, it's obviously too early to say that Hooker will be the next Reed, but his nose for the ball is impressive. Hooker snagged seven interceptions and defended four additional passes just last season.
Could the Browns use a playmaking safety on the back end of their defense? Absolutely.
The problem is that Cleveland may have to trade up in order to get Hooker—assuming they grab Garrett at No. 1 overall. If the Browns really love Hooker, their plan might be to trade down from No. 1, acquire more picks and choose Hooker as the man to build their defense around. We can't know for certain how Cleveland is going to approach the opening night of the draft. What we do know is that Hooker is a player that could help the Browns defense in a big way.
