The NFL Draft is a little under 30 days away, and the rumor mill is churning more and more. The months between the Super Bowl and the draft create a space that gets overrun with clickbait and hot takes. Amidst these increasingly staggering takes, ESPN released a draft intel piece from Field Yates, Jordan Reid, and Matt Miller, in which they were asked who might end up in the top 10 even if they aren’t a consensus top 10 pick right now. Yates mentioned Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor as his pick and specifically mentioned him as a possibility for the Browns at pick 6 or the Chiefs at pick 9. 

While Proctor could be a fit for the Browns, almost no one considers him at pick 6. Most mock drafts send one of the top wide receivers in the class or Georgia OT Monroe Freeling to the Browns at that pick. Proctor has only really ever been considered at the later end of the first round, near the Browns second pick at 24th overall. Despite this tackle class lacking a clear top consensus, hearing Proctor’s name being considered near the top is a surprise. He has a huge frame, at 6’7″ and 352 pounds. He’s actually trimmed down since the college season ended, as Alabama had his listed weight at 366. This is a good idea for Proctor, because even though the huge frame is enticing, at a certain point, weight will become a factor in movement and can limit what an offense wants to do. 

Consider another tackle prospect in this class-the aforementioned Monroe Freeling out of Georgia. Same height as Proctor, but weighs almost 40 pounds lighter at 315. Look at any of the other tackles considered around the top of the class and they also sit around the same weight. Now, Proctor is considered pretty nimble for his size, but even still, that size allows speed rushers and defensive ends with several quick pass rush moves to get past him. It’s also why some analysts suggest kicking him inside to guard. He’d have some extra help on either side, but he’d still be in the higher percentile for that weight. 

He has the traits, however, and if he continues to trim down, I can see why teams would be interested in taking him higher than most expect. That might be why he’s already started losing weight-He’s likely received instructions from teams throughout the draft process. For the Browns, though, there are other tackles who many believe would work better for what they want to do, like Miami’s Francis Mauigoa or Freeling. It will be interesting to see if the drum beat gets louder for Proctor as the draft gets closer, because if Browns fans remember, this was around the time everyone believed the Browns were locked into Travis Hunter at 2.