Don Banks of Sports Illustrated released his first 2011 Mock NFL Draft and he includes a name I haven’t seen tied to the Browns yet – DE Robert Quinn from North Carolina. Yes, the same UNC coached by former Browns head coach Butch Davis.
Quinn has the size – 6-5, 270 – and burst to be an elite pass rusher in the NFL. He also comes with baggage. Quinn missed his entire junior season after being ruled ineligible for receiving improper benefits from a sports agent. That means Quinn is talented, but rusty and it is hard to say what you’ll get once he returns to the field.
Banks, however, is convinced that Quinn could be a solution for the Browns:
Quinn is quite the story. He has overcome a brain tumor as a high school senior, posted a monster 11-sack sophomore season for the Tar Heels in 2009, and also sat out all of last year after being ruled ineligible for taking more than $5,600 worth of gifts and improper benefits from agents. But he’s an undeniable talent and his pass-rush burst off the edge makes him a prime candidate for a defense that’s switching to a 4-3 under new coordinator Dick Jauron.