Dorsey sent Nos. 49 and 144 to Indianapolis for the 46th overall pick and the right to select LSU cornerback Greedy Williams. The 144th pick in round 5 used by Dorsey came in the Carlos Hyde trade with Jacksonville last season.
“He has played some of the top-caliber receivers in the SEC. If you really go watch him play the game of football, he is fluid; he is easy; he is a smooth-moving corner; and he does it effortlessly,” Dorsey said.
“Corners in the National Football League have to cover. This guy has all the skillsets to cover players in the National Football League.”
Williams finished his college career with eight interceptions, 28 pass breakups and 71 tackles.
Dorsey was surprised Williams lasted as long as he did.
“I thought he would be one of the first five guys picked off the board (in Round 2),” Dorsey said.
It marked the 18th trade for Dorsey since taking over as general manager, the ninth involving draft picks but as the second round unfolded Dorsey wanted to make sure he got his guy.
“You guys saw it. You saw the corners and the defensive backs start to peel off there,” Dorsey said. “It was inevitable that this guy was going to be peeled off within the next three to four spots of where we selected him. We were trying to move up there like six spots before that, too.”
Williams, who started all 24 games at LSU, was a 2018 Thorpe Award finalist, First-Team All-American (Walter Camp), Second-Team AP All-American and First-Team All-SEC selection.
Williams provides the Browns with a compliment to Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, selected fourth overall in 2018 but head coach Freddie Kitchens made it clear that a starting job won't be handed to him.
“From a team perspective, this is a pass-oriented league. You need to be able to throw the ball and you need to be able to stop people from throwing the ball,” Kitchens said. “Anytime you can cover them, your chances of diminishing their success of throwing the football increases. I think it is a benefit to us.”
The only blight on the Williams scouting report is his willingness to tackle. Kitchens teased him about it during their call as they made the pick, but Dorsey didn’t seem concerned.
“How would I respond to that? He is playing in the hardest conferences there are in college football, and I think he holds up really well,” Dorsey said. “I have no problem with his tackling. He will get you down. Corners are paid to cover. The tackling aspect, just get the guy down.”