Corey Coleman

The Browns wide receivers are led by first-round pick Corey Coleman.

(Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You don't hire Hue Jackson as your head coach and then shrug your shoulders at the wide receiver position. No, when you hire Hue Jackson as your head coach, you make wide receiver a priority.

That's what the Browns did in the 2016 draft, committing four of their 14 draft picks to the position, including using their top pick, No. 15 overall, on Baylor's Corey Coleman.

Jackson, of course, comes to Cleveland from Cincinnati where he had an embarrassment of riches at the position. Beyond A.J. Green, there was Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu and even Brandon Tate. Jackson might be known as a quarterback whisperer, but he's also a wide receivers coach -- he's done it a lot -- and he and Senior Offensive Assistant/Wide Receivers Coach Al Saunders are bringing their expertise to Berea.

This isn't just throwing numbers at a problem, either. There's a plan.

"With Corey and (fourth-round pick) Ricardo (Louis), the first thing that jumps out is their speed and their ability to generate explosive plays," Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry said. "You can almost group the four into two separate categories. With (fifth-round picks) Rashard (Higgins) and Jordan (Payton), quite honestly, they have size and they catch everything in their catching radius to be quite honest. Feel really good about the mix we added. They have complementary skillsets, and we are excited to see them out on the field and competing."

It's not just rookies. There are veterans returning, too, including a familiar former quarterback continuing to try to make it at a new position.

Here is a look at the team's wide receivers.

The returning players

Taylor Gabriel

One of the pleasant surprises of 2014 as an undrafted free agent, Gabriel saw his receptions drop from 36 to 28 and his yardage dropped from 621 to 241 receiving yards. He spent much of the offseason struggling with a lower leg injury and Jackson said that they were going to play it safe with him.

Andrew Hawkins

Coming off of a season in 2014 that saw him reach career highs in receptions and yards, Hawkins appeared in just eight games last season, his year ending after suffering a concussion against the Steelers that left him in the hospital.

He's reunited with Jackson this season whom he played for in 2013 and, at age 30, is the veteran in the room. He's a productive receiver if he can stay healthy.

Darius Jennings

He spent much of his time on the practice squad a year ago. He was elevated to the 53-man roster towards the end of the season and made his NFL debut on December 6 against Cincinnati. Known for his speed, the undrafted free agent ended the season with 14 catches for 117 yards.

Marlon Moore

Initially on the roster as a special teams ace last season, Moore found himself elevated to wide receiver and caught seven passes, the highest total of his career, including a touchdown catch against the Ravens on Monday Night Football.

It's a bit telling when a coach praises a player unsolicited and Jackson did just that as the offseason program was winding down.

"Obviously, Marlon Moore's making plays all over the place," he said.

Terrelle Pryor

He didn't make the conversion to wide receiver until last July and then spent much of the season just trying to find a team. He has a full offseason, now, to adjust and the physical tools are still there.

"He's being asked to do things that he's never really been asked to do before," Saunders said. "He's got to make a lot of ground up in that way, but every day he gets better, he does something that really gives me room for optimism that he has a future at that position."

When all was said and done last season, he appeared in just three games, was targeted eight times and had one reception for 42 yards.

Strength and Conditioning/Skill Development coach Master Joe Kim, who has used his martial arts background teaching NFL players handfighting since 1992, had high praise for Pryor, saying he has some of the most violent set of hands he's worked with.

"I can't wait to see a guy try to press (Pryor)," Kim said. "Now he knows what he's doing. He's got tools in the toolbox to use. It's not just going to be flailing. Now he's got a fight plan."

The draft picks

Corey Coleman

Want to talk about investing in a first-round pick? Watch Saunders chase Coleman down the sideline telling him to stay inbounds. Watch Jackson pull him aside and coach him one-on-one. Coleman is vital to the success of Jackson's quick catch-and-run offense this season and they're coaching him like he is.

"That's what we're here for is to make sure that he learns how to progress the basics and gets better and better," Saunders said. "I've been really pleased with his attitude and really pleased with his effort."

"We need guys that, without calling the perfect play, if they get the ball in their hands, they can get more than what is prescribed," Associated Head Coach on Offense Pep Hamilton said. "He is a playmaker. He is explosive, and I think we all saw -- and it is well documented -- that he can score the football."

Coleman might also get a shot to have the ball in his hands on punt and kick returns.

"He can do both," special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said, "He's an explosive player, and he's developing right now. We're working on all those things."

Ricardo Louis

Louis was drafted for one reason: get vertical.

"The guy that can run vertical down the field and make great plays on the ball," Jackson said after the Browns picked Louis. "Ricardo Louis was a great pickup for us, because he's another big, tall athlete who can really run and has tremendous speed and he has vertical ability. he's made a lot of big plays."

He finished his four-year career at Auburn ranked 11th in career receptions and 15th in career receiving yards.

The real intrigue with Louis is his ability to run the ball. Jackson's offense in Cincinnati, along with emphasizing a horizontal passing game allowing receivers to create in space, also featured handoffs to backs, most notably Sanu, who carried the ball ten times for 71 yards last season.

Louis rushed the ball 29 times for 158 yards last season and 18 times for 220 yards in 2014.

Jordan Payton

He'll have to play catch up in training camp as he was forced to miss most of the offseason program waiting for his class at UCLA to graduate. Payton, who started a clothing line in high school, is the Bruins' all-time reception leader, catching 201 passes. At 6-foot-1, 209 pounds, he'll be counted on for his reliable hands to complement what the Browns hope will be a downfield threat around him.

Rashard Higgins

Higgins, like Payton, is here for his hands. The man who sports the nickname "Hollywood" will be expected to be a target that whomever is playing quarterback can count on.

"He has good size and fantastic hands," Berry said. "He can really sort of catch anything in his frame and can make the spectacular catches, as well."

Fight for roster spots

Rannell Hall

The Browns signed Hall off of Tampa Bay's practice squad in December. An undrafted free agent in 2015 out of Central Florida, he spent eight weeks on the Buccaneer's practice squad.

Dennis Parks

Originally signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent, the Browns added him in mid-May. In 46 career games at Rice, he recorded 97 receptions for 1,507 yards and eight touchdowns.

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