Browns 6th Round Picks: CB Don Carey, CB Coye Francies, RB James Davis
The Cleveland Browns have completed their picking in the 2009 NFL Draft by selecting two cornerbacks and a running back with their three 6th round picks. The final three Browns picks were:
- 6th round, Pick #177: CB Don Carey, Norfolk State
- 6th round, Pick #191: CB Coye Francies, San Diego State
- 6th round, Pick #195: RB James Davis, Clemson
Click on the links above to see their Scouts Inc. profiles from ESPN.com. While none of the three will likely be impact players next year, each represents solid value this late in the draft for the Browns.
The Scouts Inc. summary of Don Carey’s potential is as follows:
Carey has good upside, in terms of instincts and ball skills and plays with an aggressive attitude. However, due to some tightness in his hips, Carey may be forced to line up at the nickel position at the NFL level.
Sounds a little like Brandon McDonald to me.
Scouts Inc. had Carey rated as the #23 CB in the draft, yet had Francies, who was drafted 14 picks later, rated as the #11 CB and #81 player overall. James Davis was rated as the #11 RB and the #124 player overall. It is interesting that the Browns took Carey before the other two, but obviously it shows the differences of opinion with which one player can be rated.
The Browns certainly need depth in the defensive secondary and the combo of Carey and Francis would appear to be capable of providing that. Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald can fluctuate between being great and being, well, awful; perhaps the addition of a couple of late round talents will not only add depth but also press Wright and McDonald to play with more focus, a trait they both seemed to lack last year at times.
Either way, they have to be better than Terry Cousin.
James Davis can step right in and backup Jamal Lewis as a first and second down back, with Jerome Harrison hopefully getting the bulk of the 3rd down touches. The Browns have Noah Herron and Marcus Thomas also on the roster right now, but they are there for depth and have not proven to be capable NFL ball carriers. Davis formed a productive 1-2 punch with CJ Spiller at Clemson and might have been drafted higher had it not been for injury concerns that plagued him in college. He scored 21 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Clemson, and has good size, despite not being overly elusive.
For fantasy players thinking deep, deep sleeper potential, Davis could be a possibility. With Jamal Lewis advancing in age, Davis could have a chance to grab carries next year. He won’t set the world on fire, but he could provide adequate production based on what he showed in college running behind an improved Browns O-Line.
Three more solid picks by the Browns. They filled needs and got players who were productive in college. Add them to the players already chosen, and it rounds out a very nice 2009 NFL Draft. I doubt anyone will give the Browns an “A”, but coming out of this weekend with a solid “B” and lots of holes filled is still a solid outcome.
Tags: 2009 nfl draft, Cleveland Browns
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