BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns added some competition for Greg Joseph with their second fifth-round pick on Saturday, selecting Oklahoma kicker Austin Seibert. Seibert also punted in college. He is expected to kick in the NFL. The pick used on Seibert was the pick acquired when the Browns traded Josh Gordon to New England. Seibert made 63 of 79 field goal attempts during his four-year career at Oklahoma. He’s the leading scorer in Oklahoma and Big 12 history and ranks first among FBS kickers in career points, breaking the record held by former Browns kicker and seventh-round pick Zane Gonzalez. He converted 17 of 19 attempts in 2018 and 34 of 40 over the last two seasons. He was Oklahoma’s first-ever Big 12 special teams player of the year in 2018 and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press.<doc-sep>With the No. 170 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns have selected former Oklahoma Sooners kicker and punter Austin Seibert. “With the 170th pick in the 2019 Draft, the Cleveland Browns select Austin Seibert, K, Oklahoma.” : NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/9Lrxnlg9bB — Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 27, 2019 I’m certain that hearing another Oklahoma Sooner will be heading to Cleveland is comforting and welcome to Brown fans after Seibert’s selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. It’s pretty clear what direction the Cleveland Browns are heading in when one looks at their activity in the draft— they have not selected any skill position players on offense, rather they have spent those picks on defense. They have seemingly created a clear narrative that they are set on offense, trying to bolster their defense, and lastly with the selection of Austin Seibert, they are trying to improve and diversify their Special Teams. It’s no question that people tuning in to see the Baker Mayfield show should expect to see Seibert on kickoffs with his cannon of a leg. However, it remains to be seen how special he can be if he can specialize in one area of his kicking duties. Austin’s tenure in Norman will solely be missed by the Sooners. Prior to Seibert’s arrival on campus, Oklahoma had been recruiting kickers such as Michael Hunnicutt, Jimmy Stevens, and Garrett Hartley— one of which had an NFL career. Seibert came to the program as one of the most highly recruited specialists in quite some time and he was much better than all other specialists in Norman, so Austin took care of all kicking duties. He will leave Oklahoma as the leading scorer in Oklahoma history as well as the Big XII with 499 points. According to NFL Scouts, one of Austin’s strengths is his versatility, as he handled all kicking duties during his tenure with the Oklahoma Sooners. However, the biggest upside for Seibert is his perceived strong leg and experience in “meaningful and stress-filled contests.” One of his “weaknesses” can be blamed on quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, as he never really had the opportunity to kick field goals over fifty yards (and when he did, he was 1-3).<doc-sep>The Cleveland Browns have had a very good run over the past 12 plus months under Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski. The team won 11 games, won a playoff game, and solidified Baker Mayfield as their franchise quarterback. Three huge goals checked off in one season. This offseason has been more of the same. Quality players added in free agency with only a few departures of note while still holding on to enough cap space to make a major move or to role over to make sure they can sign some of their core players to extensions. There is a popular...<doc-sep>With the 170th pick in the fifth round, the Cleveland Browns select Austin Seibert, a kicker from Oklahoma. No one wants to take a kicker in the draft, let alone use a sixth rounder, but he is a very good kicker. This selection is not sexy and is noted as a reach by most pundits, but Seibert has a big leg. Most fans will remember Seibert from his viral YouTube video that showed him banging in an incredible 66-yard field goal while in high school. Seibert has the potential to be one of the best kickers in the NFL and he credits a lot of his skill to suffering a broken leg in high school, which allowed him to essentially retrain his leg to kick. That’s right; he’s essentially a machine. Cleveland has drafted a cyborg to kick field goals and every Browns fan in the country is hoping it pays off. This pick is somewhat a passing of the torch as Seibert broke former Zane Gonzalez’s record for career points with 499. Again Seibert is in the upper tier of draftable kickers, hence the selection, but he was still available in the sixth due to nailing only one of his three attempts from beyond 50 yards during his college career. Seibert’s longest collegiate field goal was a slightly disappointing 51 yards, but proof of his potential is literally on YouTube and clearly, Cleveland believes in his skill.<doc-sep>
The Cleveland Browns cashed in a fifth-round pick on Oklahoma kicker Austin Seibert, and it’s a decision that should be applauded The Cleveland Browns took kicker Austin Seibert in the fifth round of the NFL Draft and it’s a move that should be applauded. The Browns used the pick, acquired from the New England Patriots in exchange for Josh Gordon last fall. If you find yourself unsupportive of this pick, you should start re-thinking things ASAP. NFL games are usually pretty close and having a kicker who can hang three points up on the scoreboard is more important than ever. Just ask last year’s Browns. If Cleveland had even an average kicker to start the season, the Browns probably wouldn’t been in the playoffs. It was welcoming to see general manager John Dorsey treat this position with the importance that it carries on game day. The Browns could’ve been like everyone else and bid on kickers stockpiled on the scrap heap following the draft, but instead, they were pro active in getting the man they wanted. Here’s the thing about the scrap heap: Those guys are free agents and they don’t have to come if they don’t want to. By drafting Austin Seibert, the Browns have his exclusive rights. Cleveland had already taken a solid prospect in Mack Wilson earlier in the fifth round. With a position of need already taken care, it became even easier to draft a kicker. Plus, the Browns had eight picks. Not all those guys are going to make the team. Seibert also handled punting duties for the Sooners. He’s a midwestern kid, hailing from Illinois, so hopefully he can adjust to the elements quickly. Seibert made 89.5 percent of his field goal tries as a senior, while cashing in 168 of 169 PATs during his final two seasons in Norman. Critics are quick to point out he only had a long field goal of 42 yards. He only tried one kick of 50 yards or more once this past season. We’ll see what kind of length he has at camp, but it’s important to keep in mind he played for Oklahoma. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray led teams to the College Football Playoff by scoring touchdowns. It wasn’t often the Sooners settled for 50-yard field goals. After the Browns brought on Greg Joseph to the kicking game, the position steadied a bit, but there aren’t a lot of Dawg Pound members trusting Joseph when the Rams come to town for Sunday Night Football with the game on the line.