Thoughts on Haden

I am a big NFL Draft guy, to me it's better than the Super Bowl in some ways, mostly because of the Browns.  I do a lot of reading about the draft, not just about the Browns but I read stuff about every team, about many of the draft prospects, etc. Before the draft, during the first week of April sometime, I will do a mock draft, which is me making a guess on who each team will select in the first round.
Speaking of the first round, the Browns own the No. 7 overall pick. There are a few mock drafts out there already. Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN's draft guru, predicts the Browns will take Florida cornerback Joe Haden with that No. 7 overall pick.
In Monday's Plain Dealer, Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot wrote an informative piece on Haden.
Haden is a three-year starter at Florida who originally went there to play QB, but was stuck behind Tim Tebow. So he moved to receiver, where he was stuck behind Percy Harvin. After that, Urban Meyer moved Haden to cornerback, where he could use his athleticism. He ended up being the first player at Florida to start as a true freshman and played 40 games in three years, earning several accolades and was regarded as a top-five cornerback in the nation. As Kabot touches on in the story, there are questions about Haden's 40-yard dash time. He is supposed to be solid in coverage and is capable of blitzing the QB and in run support. At 5-foot-10, he is the ideal size for a CB. If you want to read more about his abilities and measurables, Google him or read his scouting report on NFL.com
I'll say it here first: My first choice for the Browns is draft Tennessee safety Eric Berry, who is the next Ed Reed. But he may be gone by No. 7. Haden is my second choice (Oklahoma WR Dez Bryant is my third choice). If Berry is gone, I would be more than happy for the Browns to select Haden and start him at CB opposite Eric Wright, essentially moving Brandon McDonald off the field as a starter, which is good news for everyone. If Haden's 40-time comes out favorable at the NFL Combine this week, he will solidify his status as a top 10 pick in this year's draft. The Browns do have many holes to fill, but cornerback is one of them and this guy fits the bill.

* Photo by the Associated Press