Three-Point Stance: Browns should take Barkley; Griffin not worth a pick

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s thought-provoking Three-Point Stance is here with some thoughts on two former Virginia five-stars, why the Browns need to take Saquon Barkley and why he wouldn’t draft Shaquem Griffin.

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I was watching the NFL Combine all weekend and was surprised when I saw Da’Shawn Hand and Andrew Brown working out with the defensive linemen. I’m not sure why it took me by surprise because I know both of them were invited and would be working out, but I didn’t really think much about it beyond that – until they worked out.

It got me a bit nostalgic. I remember in 2011 when both Brown and Hand were at our VTO Camp in Virginia as freshmen and stood out and continued their dominance at camp after camp and event after event through the Under Armour All-America Game. I remember selecting both to the US Army Bowl as youngsters and then having them change course to Under Armour when our partnership with that brand began. And most of all I remember how talented they were.

So as each had very pedestrian careers at Virginia (Brown) and Alabama (Hand), I was a bit puzzled. Some said each was out of position at their respective schools and never got a chance to shine. Others felt the depth chart, especially with Hand, was to blame for the lack of results. But whatever the reason, neither lived up to their five-star status.

But as I was watching them go through testing and drills at the NFL Combine, I once again saw all that talent and had an odd thought: Both are going to be very good NFL players despite the likelihood each will be drafted in the middle to end of the draft in April.

Hand, who is now 6-foot-4 and 297 pounds, ran a 4.83-second 40-yard dash, a 4.62-second short shuttle, a 7.98-second 3-cone drill all while jumping 32 inches in the vertical, 111 inches in the broad jump and benching 225 28 times. Brown, meanwhile, checked in at 6-foot-4 and 296 pounds and ran a 5.03-second 40-yard dash, a 4.48-second short shuttle, a 7.51-second 3-cone drill while jumping 28 inches in the vertical and 101 inches in the broad jump. He also did 31 bench reps at 225 pounds. These are very good numbers for guys that size and should help boost their stock as we head to the draft.

Maybe I’m just trying to justify the high ranking each player got out of high school and am seeing things that aren’t there or maybe I’m onto something, but these are two guys to keep an eye on for solid NFL careers.

Okay Cleveland Browns, don’t screw this up. The choice is easy for you. Take Penn State running back Saquon Barkley at No. 1 overall and find your quarterback at No. 4. Barkley, who killed the combine, is better than Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon and any other running back taken high in round one since Adrian Peterson in 2007.

Barring injury, he’s a can’t-miss, while the quarterbacks appear to be a crapshoot of sorts. There will be a good QB available at No. 4 when the Browns use their second pick. Take the sure thing and then take a shot at your quarterback.

Most people want to see the Browns, the sad sack of the NFL, improve and make some good choices and this is the exact scenario where they can flourish. With the Giants not sold on taking a quarterback and the Colts looking at Bradley Chubb, Cleveland could still land Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield or Josh Allen while locking down the running back of the future for the next 10 years. Let’s do this Cleveland, don’t screw it up! Saquon at No. 1 or bust.

I’m going to say what no one else has the guts to say. I wouldn’t draft Shaquem Griffin if I was in charge of an NFL team.

Griffin, who was born with a condition called Amniotic Band Syndrome which caused his fingers on his left hand not to fully develop, had his left hand amputated when he was four years old. Since then he has played football, baseball, track and has become a star at the college level for UCF on the gridiron. He helped lead his team to an undefeated season this past year while being named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year and MVP of the Peach Bowl against Auburn.

And now he just killed the combine, running the best time for a linebacker since 2003 and bench pressing 225 pounds 20 times with a prosthetic. Many now feel he has moved himself into the fourth or fifth round of the draft after his performance.

So why wouldn’t I draft him? Call me a hater if you want or whatever curse words you want to use, but I just don’t think a player can be effective at the NFL level without a hand. How will he tackle elite NFL players? How will he shed blocks of 350-pound tackles? How will he intercept stray passes?

Yes, he’s shown he can do this at a high level in college against fair competition, but the NFL is a different animal. With only so many draft picks in each draft, unless I’m a team that’s flush with picks and is looking for a backup linebacker/special teams guy late in the draft, I’m passing.

This has nothing to do with being prejudice against those with disabilities in any way and, like many others, I was pulling for Griffin during the combine. He seems like a great kid and has overcome so much, but regardless, I’m passing when it comes to the NFL Draft.