John Hughes Pre-Draft Analysis
This was an extremely pleasant surprise to me! By all accounts most NFL Draft analysts pegged the Cincinnati defensive tackle to go on Day 3 in the 6th or 7th Round. I didn’t necessarily disagree with them but defensive linemen were going fast and furious in the opening rounds that it made it easy for Hughes to move up. Plus the 6’2″ 309 lbs defensive tackle is excellent against the run. Like I mentioned in the pre-draft analysis he can beat 1-on-1 blocks to get to ball carriers and is simply big enough to clog gaps in the offensive line. That was probably one of the factors that drew the eyes of the Browns. If you’ve watched even a minute of professional football over the past decade you probably know that the Browns are one of the worst franchises forced to take the field every Sunday.
There were many things wrong with Cleveland last season and among one of them was the fact that they couldn’t stop the run (30th in the NFL) in a division that emphasizes rushing the football. It’s a recipe for disaster if a team neglects run defense in the AFC North. The Browns tried to correct that problem by taking Hughes in the 3rd Round. He will most likely start his NFL career near the top of the depth chart with the ability to earn starting time immediately next season.
Congratulations John!