Cleveland Browns: Comprehensive 2018 NFL Draft review

Antonio Callaway, WR – Florida

On day three of the draft, the first move by the Browns was trading the 178th pick acquired in moving down to then select Chad Thomas to go from 114 to 105 to select the often troubled Antonio Callaway.

Athletic Profile

Age: 21 years old (Born Jan. 9, 1997)

Height: 5-10.625
Weight: 200 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.41s
Broad Jump: 10’1″
Vertical: 34″
3-Cone: 7s (Pro Day)
Shuttle: 4.33s (Pro Day)
Bench: 7 reps

Callaway has excellent speed for his size. His explosion and agility aren’t as impressive but still more than enough to be successful. Speed is certainly the attribute that stands out the most with Callaway on the field.

Callaway is a big guy and looks bigger than his height would suggest with a thick build. His seven bench reps are a surprise and unfortunately suggest a less than stellar work ethic when it comes to improving his strength.

Production

Career Starts: 26

Receptions: 89
Receiving Yards: 1,399 (24.5 percent)
Punt Return Average: 12.0 on 54 attempts
Touchdowns: 12 (7 receiving, 1 rushing, 1 passing, 1 kickoff, 2 punt return)

Callaway’s production was no doubt impacted by his inability to play this past season. However, what he did produce was good, but not great. And since wide receiver success is so often predicated on production, that hurts Callaway’s projection going to the NFL. Rather than being a Pro Bowl type player, he’s more likely to be a starter or perhaps even less than that.

The Browns might argue that had he played, he would have had great production and as a result, his projection would have been significantly better. Maybe that’s true, but as it stands, even though he led the team in receiving yards in both seasons he played, the production wasn’t that of a great player.

Game Tape

For the Gators, it was all about finding ways to get the ball in the hands of Callaway. Throw it to him, hand it to him, let him catch punts, anything. Just get him the ball and let him create. He’s got speed, he’s physical and he’s completely fearless. Willing to use a stiff arm and run through tacklers, he’s also unpredictable. Occasionally, he’ll gamble and lose, but he will also find ways to make some plays, whether it be extending drives or making big plays where he can potentially score.

Callaway is physical as a route runner. He will mix it up with defenders when he comes off the line of scrimmage, able to create some space as he goes into his route. He isn’t a great route runner and will occasionally look rather lazy with it, but he does have a good sense of how to find holes in coverages and give his quarterback the ability to get him the ball. One thing Callaway does very well is stacking defenders when he goes deep, making it difficult for them to make plays on passes to him.

Callaway will drop passes he shouldn’t, but he’ll also fight for the football and can overpower defensive backs who try to stop him. He tracks the ball well when going deep and can maintain his speed chasing down the football.

In a lot of ways, Callaway resembles a tailback with the ball in his hands. He’s got pretty good vision, is more than willing to take on contact and there are more than a few situations where Callaway could run out of bounds after a solid gain and will cut back into the field to try to gain more.

That physicality and fearless attitude is what can make him a dangerous punt returner. He just doesn’t seem to care about anything else other than trying to find a way to score and he’s willing to do just about anything to do it.

Fit, Usage and Projection with the Browns

The first that stands out with Callaway is his ability to return punts. Jabrill Peppers is more than capable of fulfilling that role, but as he is a starter on defense, if they can find someone who can give the same level or perhaps better, all the better.

Beyond that, Callaway is a good run after the catch receiver. Screens, drags, hitches, Callaway is a threat to make a big play. Florida’s quarterback play hasn’t been great, so the Browns have to be hoping that if they can get better quarterback play and put the ball on him while he’s moving, he can be a terror in space. The potential is there for that.

Callaway is also able to stretch the field deep and could be a deep threat in this offense. He’s shown he can go get the ball, shed a tackle and score.

Callaway seems most comfortable out on the boundary, but could be a weapon in the slot. That’s certainly valuable as it enables the Browns to potentially line him up anywhere or motion him to create matchups or open up opportunities.

Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman have speed to work down the field and underneath. Effectively, Callaway can give them a third guy where the other receivers can clear out space for him to cause problems after the catch. Run interference for his teammates or they can do the same for him. And he’s more equipped to help in the screen game than Gordon and Coleman are.

So much with Callaway is about being able to control himself off the field, but he does have potential to contribute on it, either as a role player or starting type. That and his potential on special teams and particularly as a punt returner could be valuable to this Browns offense and what they hope to achieve.