The Cleveland Browns selected DT John Hughes. Divine intervention, or dumb luck?

When the Cleveland Browns deviated from the game-plan during the 2012 NFL Draft to select defensive tackle John Hughes (Cincinnati) in the third round many Cleveland fans simultaneously cringed and chucked their remotes at the television in disgust. But it seems that it may have been divine intervention that compelled the Cleveland Brass to select him. Or at the very least, it was dumb luck.

This week the Browns reported that defensive tackle, and last year’s first round selection Phil Taylor suffered an injury to his pectoral muscle. On Friday both Pat Shurmur and Mike Holmgren confirmed that Phil Taylor has suffered a torn pectoral muscle and will undergo surgery next week.

Taylor was not as consistent as last year’s fellow rookie defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard, but did perform well enough to be considered a solid core member of a defense that vaulted to the top of the NFL last season. Browns fans and coaches were pleased with Taylor’s rookie year and expected great things from Taylor this season. However with the injury, his 2012 season is in doubt.

The good news is that if you are going to suffer an injury, it’s better to have one in May, rather than September. If anyone can relate it would be teammate D’Qwell Jackson who has had two pectoral tears in back-to-back seasons. Jackson was healthy all of last year and is proof that Taylor can recover and come back from this injury. The bad news however is that there is no clear timeline for Taylor’s return. He could be back as early as six weeks into the regular season, however with an injury such as this, it may be longer.

So now we come to John Hughes. At the time of the draft, there was no indication by the organization that they had any interest on adding depth to the defensive tackle position. During the free-agency period they worked on the defensive end position signing Parker, and Rucker to improve the one position on the defensive line that the Browns needed improvement in to help out Sheard on the opposite side.

At the time, the only real response given by Cleveland in regards to selecting Hughes was that there was interest in him from other teams and that the Browns wanted to add depth to the position. But now the picture has changed. With Taylor’s injury the rookie will be expected to fill a hole and contribute immediately.

Taking Hughes in the third round was a shock to many experts. The draft-book on Hughes projected him “at-best” a later round pick but more than likely would be an undrafted free agent. He has good hand-work, can play the run well, recognizes plays early, and can shed blocks. But the negative aspect on Hughes is effort. He is seen as lazy and does not finish plays well. He does not often chase down and pursue plays on the perimeter, and does “at times” appear lost when penetrating into the backfield. Effort is the key to his success. Ultimately Hughes will get out what he puts into this chance on the next level. If he is motivated and performs to his ability, he could have success in the NFL. If he slips back into the mentality he had at times in Cincinnati, then his career will likely will not raise above the role of backup or possibly end up out of the league all together.

Generally I try not to be as critical about a player. I especially don’t like to criticize a young player who has yet to prove himself. But with Taylor out for a significant portion of time this season Hughes will need to perform well. Hopefully, he can prove the critics wrong.

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