Berea, OH (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Browns opened the second day of the NFL Draft in similar shocking fashion as they opened Thursday night.
With a surprise.
With the 33rd pick they selected Nevada offensive tackle Austin Corbett and then at 35 they went with a familiar name in Georgia running back Nick Chubb.
“The main thing is that we have improved. You set out to improve every single day. We feel like we have done that," Browns assistant general manager Eliot Wolf said Friday night. "Obviously, if we go out and do not win a game, then none of this means anything. Anyone can win in March or April. The key is getting these guys, the coaching staff and us, to get these guys together and go play together, believe in a common goal and go win some games.”
In 4 seasons for Georgia, Chubb, who is listed at 5-10, 225 pounds, ran for 4,769 yards, registered a 6.3-yards per carry average, scored 44 touchdowns while adding 31 catches for 361 and 4 touchdowns. He totaled 5,120 and 48 TDs from scrimmage for the Bulldogs.
"I’ve been a big fan of Chubb for a long time," Browns vice president of player personnel Alonzo Highsmith said. "One thing about SEC running backs is when you play running back in the SEC, you have to be able to create between the tackles with your feet and you have to be able to play a physical style of football, and Nick Chubb exemplifies all of that in his running style.
"Not only is he a great football player, he's a tremendous person, tremendous individual, tremendous leader and he exemplifies what we're trying to build here in Cleveland. We want real guys. We want guys that like football."
Chubb's selection comes because of the trade with Houston for Brock Osweiler that saw the Browns ultimately cut the quarterback but pay $15.225 million of his $16 million salary after he signed with Denver.
"I have no questions about this guy," Highsmith, who compared him to former All-Pro Jamal Lewis, said. "Just give him the ball."
Corbett, who ironically wore No. 73 for Nevada, started at 48 games at left tackle over 4 seasons for the Wolf Pack where he earned first-team all-conference honors in 2017, second-team all-conference honors in 2016 and honorable mention in 2015. He was moved to guard at the Senior Bowl, but it stands to reason the Browns will have him audition to replace Joe Thomas at left tackle.
“As far as it goes in being ‘the next Joe Thomas,’ that is just a rare, rare human there,” Corbett said. “If I can learn from him and follow in his footsteps, that’s just amazing.”
Joel Bitonio was a senior at Nevada during Corbett's redshirt freshman year and he's heard all about Thomas from the Browns left guard.
“Joel has told me how great of a person he is and just the type of player," Corbett said. "When you play [10,363] consecutive snaps, that just says something to who you are and how you can push through things. The offensive line, they are going to get banged up but to push through that and get those things done, that is just incredible."
Cleveland originally planned to move Shon Coleman to left tackle this offseason to replace the presumed future Hall of Famer but Corbitt will challenge him for the job.
“If Austin is able to be the left tackle, it would be great,” Wolf said.
The Browns traded the final pick of round 2 - No. 64, acquired from Philadelphia as part of the 2016 Carson Wentz trade, to Indianapolis for No. 67 overall in round 3 and No. 178 in round 6.
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