Jordan Payton was the 154th pick (Round 5) in the 2016 NFL Draft and is now a part of the Cleveland Browns.
UCLA Football had their fifth Bruin selected in the 2016 NFL Draft as wide receiver Jordan Payton was picked by the Cleveland Browns.
Let me tell you this right now Cleveland fans, you are getting one solid receiver. Last year at UCLA, he was the go-to guy in the Bruin’s spread offense. He caught 78 passes (26% of all pass thrown in the season), had 1,105 receiving yards, went for 5 touchdowns and averaged a team high 85 yards per game.
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When the ball was thrown Payton’s way, you could almost guarantee he would pull it in. He can catch the ball in traffic, can shift away from defenders in the open field and his strength allows him to take hits and continue to get extra yardage.
Though he does need to work on getting faster and separating from his defender, for the most part he is a quick receiver with great hands, perfect for short yardage pass plays.
Though he has talent, it was always going to be work getting a spot on an NFL team, but that just became a little harder for Payton getting drafted by Cleveland. The Browns took a total of six receivers in this draft, with the former Bruin being the fifth chosen.
Tough indeed, but he has the talent and potential to land a spot on the roster. Payton also joins up with and old foe as the Browns drafted former USC quarterback Cody Kessler.
".JordanPayton is your newest #NFLBruin. #BruinProud #BrownsDrafthttps://t.co/LKUUSVG6GY— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) April 30, 2016"
Next: 2016 NFL Draft First Round Grades
Congratulations Jordan Payton, you too have made it to the big time! Go Bruins!