Ingraham

The eighth player taken overall. Right now, the eighth player selected overall is playing behind a cornerback the Browns signed off the street — K’Waun Williams.

Of the 256 players selected in the NFL draft, Williams wasn’t one of them. Nobody drafted him. Nada. Nil. He was unemployed until the Browns signed him.

Now he is starting ahead of the eighth player taken overall.

Why? Because Williams better player.

This is not Gilbert’s fault. He didn’t draft himself No. 8. The Browns did. The Browns presumably scouted him extensively, watched hours of video of him. Interviewed his coaches and other acquaintances, did background checks. They followed him closely, and presumably interviewed him at the NFL Scouting Combine. They watched more video of him. Held internal staff discussions on his strengths and weaknesses.

Then selected him with the eighth overall pick in the draft.

One-quarter of the way into the season, Gilbert is on the field about as much as the kicking tee. He’s currently playing behind a street free agent.

What’s wrong with this picture, right?

Here’s what’s wrong with this cornerback: At the top of the job description page for an NFL cornerback is the ability to cover and tackle receivers.

Gilbert’s two biggest weaknesses appear to be an inability to cover receivers or tackle them.

Technique-wise, he appears to have none. Apparently in college, he got by on sheer athleticism. That was evidently enough for him to shut down all the receivers he faced. As a pro, he’s facing NFL receivers who are just as athletic and just as fast as he is.

Poor technique in college didn’t matter for Gilbert.

Poor technique in the pros mat-

is a ters a lot. It’s frequently all that matters.

Maybe Gilbert is thinking too much, instead of simply reading, reacting and playing the game. Maybe his poor technique is the result of a great athlete simply overthinking.

Maybe four more games from now, maybe 10, or maybe not until sometime next year, it will start clicking for Gilbert.

The light bulb will go on and he will start playing the way you would expect the first cornerback selected in the entire draft to play.

But that’s not helping the Browns now.

Despite their promising start, the Browns’ defense has frequently been an inconsistent mess, and the cornerback position has been a five-alarm fire.

Joe Haden is said to have a hip condition, which may or may not explain why he has been beaten more often than a dirty rug. Buster Skrine has played more like Buster Scream, and Gilbert, who was drafted with the idea that his addition would give the Browns two shutdown corners has already played his way into sideline statue status. This cannot happen. A team as bad as the Browns were last year can’t afford to miss on the eighth overall pick. The eighth overall pick, selected by a team as bad as the Browns were last year, should start right away, and should shine right away.

It should be clearly apparent why this guy was the eighth overall pick.

But that hasn’t happened. Maybe it’s just going to take longer with Gilbert. Obviously, it’s way too early to write him off as a wasted draft pick. But at this point in the season, the red flag that is Gilbert being benched in favor of an undrafted free agent is hard to ignore.

JIngraham @MorningJournal.com

@jitribeinsider