Cleveland Browns: Anthony Schwartz more than just speed

The Cleveland Browns may have gotten the fastest player in the 2021 NFL Draft in Auburn’s Anthony Schwartz, but he’s so much more than just a 40-time.

The Cleveland Browns have to be sitting on cloud nine following the 2021 offseason. After a very promising 2020 campaign which included a playoff berth and victory in the postseason, the Browns felt like they added multiple first-round picks despite having to wait until the bottom of the first two rounds to make their selections.

The Browns’ top two picks in the 2021 NFL Draft were Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome and Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who were both first-round picks on my personal final mock draft.

In the third round, Cleveland added to its offensive weaponry, bringing in the fastest player in the 2021 class in Auburn wide receiver Anthony Schwartz.

Schwartz ran a blazing 4.27 in the 40-yard dash at the Auburn pro day and would have undoubtedly challenged John Ross’s record 40-yard dash time at the Scouting Combine if the NFL had held the event in 2021.

Schwartz’s speed is other-worldly and it translates to the football field. A lot of times you will see players who have great “track” speed but they lack in other areas on the field. Many of these speed receivers are simply that. They can’t do much else and their impact on the game is completely dependant on whether or not they can win vertical matchups.

That’s not the case for Anthony Schwartz.

Cleveland Browns: Anthony Schwartz a true weapon

While Schwartz is certainly capable of blowing the top off of a defense with his insanely rare vertical speed, he’s also a tremendous playmaker after the reception.

Although the Cleveland Browns have a pretty established hierarchy at the wide receiver position, who knows if everyone in that unit is going to be able to stay healthy this season?

Even if they are able to stay fully healthy, Schwartz is going to have some kind of a role. His speed is too potent to keep on the field all year long, and he’s also proven to be quite creative in the open field in using his speed and acceleration.

With some underrated tackle-breaking ability, Schwartz is a pretty unique weapon that can be utilized out wide or from the slot. He has a chance in a really good offense to be a unique weapon in his rookie season with a low volume of targets but potentially a very substantial impact every time he touches the ball.