| | The Cleveland Browns, owners of the first pick in next month's NFL draft, have zeroed in on Penn State defensive standouts LaVar Arrington and Courtney Brown as their No. 1 choice, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Wednesday
|  | | LaVar Arrington, left, could be the top pick in the draft. |
Cleveland currently has Arrington graded slightly higher than Brown (8.5 to
8.4). Both worked out for pro scouts and ran impressively last Thursday in State College, Pa. Brown is a 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end. Arrington, 6-3, 250 pounds, won both the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker last season.
According to Mortensen, Cleveland's current thinking has the Washington Redskins uncomfortable because of their desire for Arrington. Washington owns the second and third pick overall in the draft.
Florida State wide receiver Peter Warrick also is considered among the top three players in the draft.
In a private workout for the Redskins on Tuesday, Warrick was timed in the 40 at 4.48 seconds. Tuesday's workout was outdoors.
Mortensen reported that Warrick ran a disappointing 40-yard dash time last Thursday in a workout for pro scouts on the Seminoles' campus in Tallahassee, Fla.
Warrick's times last week were in the mid-4.5-second range, Mortensen said. Warrick was forced to run on an indoor basketball court because of poor weather conditions outside. The All-American complained afterward that he did not have the right shoes for the indoor surface, Mortensen said.
Leaning toward Arrington and Brown doesn't mean Cleveland doesn't regard Warrick as an elite player.
"We just watched film on him again this week, and he's an awesome player," Browns general manager Dwight Clark said. "He's Barry Sanders at wide receiver."
But this draft is deep with receivers. It is not so deep with franchise defensive ends and linebackers, such as Brown and Arrington.
The Redskins are expected to take Arrington, Brown or Chris Samuels of Alabama with the second pick and then use the third pick on another one of those players, depending on availability. The Cincinnati Bengals own the fourth pick.
The Browns' hierarchy attended Thursday's workout by Brown and Arrington, skipping Warrick's workout. | |
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