Supplemental Draft: Cleveland Browns Select Josh Gordon in the Second Round

I've been out of pocket for the last couple of hours getting work done, so I wasn't near a computer when news broke that the Cleveland Browns took former Baylor WR Josh Gordon in the 2nd round of the NFL's Supplemental Draft today. That kind of pick, which would have likely been toward the top of the round (because they're using what will be their second round pick in 2013 to make the selection), is higher than even the most optimistic observers expected Gordon to go. Several prognosticators tied him to the Browns, so that wasn't a surprise, but Cleveland using such a high pick probably was. The Browns must have figured that he wouldn't make it back to the top of the third round and their next selection and that their need was enough to justify at least a slight reach. I'm not crazy about the move because I don't think they're one WR away from anything, and they could have probably used that pick in 2013 on a better player. We'll see.

Of course, it's also possible that the Browns truly believe Gordon can be a #1 receiver in the NFL as their GM reportedly said today, and I'll look like an idiot. Art Briles seems to think so based on the quotes in that article, though I wouldn't expect Briles to say anything negative about anybody, particularly a player with a chance to reflect positively on his program. The fact that he transferred notwithstanding, most people will think of Gordon as a Baylor player first since he played his only true season here and it was that tape, not anything he did at Utah, that convinced scouts he was more than a physical freak.

For a much more complete discussion of Josh Gordon's NFL potential, check out the article posted by Daniel Hill, a walk-on TE at Baylor that played with Gordon and knows more about him than just about anybody not affiliated with a college or pro team, over on the Seahawks' blog. It's definitely worth the read.