Wright happy to be a Brown

LAS VEGAS – Cornerback Eric Wright failed to make history by becoming the first UNLV Rebel to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. But after waiting over 8 ½ hours to hear his name finally called midway through the second round, he wasn’t complaining.

“I’m just happy to be a Brown,” Wright said after being selected 53rd overall by Cleveland, which gave the Dallas Cowboys three draft picks in moving up to pick him.

Wright had held out some hope that he might be selected near the end of the first round. However, despite being just the fifth cornerback selected, he didn’t go until the 21st pick of the second round.

“I was the fifth corner off the board in the middle of the second round,” Wright said. “I don’t know the last time that has happened. It’s just the way the draft worked out today.”

Indeed, an average of six cornerbacks have been picked in the first round in the six previous drafts.

But after Aaron Ross of Texas was the third corner selected going No. 20 to the New York Giants, teams turned their attention to other positions until the Atlanta Falcons finally took Chris Houston of Arkansas with the 41st pick.

Wright then had to wait around 12 more picks before his name was called.

“I actually thought it was Dallas (who had drafted him),” Wright said. “They were up on TV when the call came. But then I answered and it was Cleveland.

“I’m definitely happy to be going there. I had a lot of meetings with them. … Then to see all the draft picks they traded to get up to select me makes you know they really wanted me.”

His agent, Jamal Tooson, said Wright could probably expect a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $1.5 million to go along with a four-year contract at the NFL minimum ($285,000 per year).

“I’m just ready to get in there and play for a successful team and a successful organization,” Wright, who will attend a press conference in Cleveland on Sunday, said. “I’m just happy to be a Brown.”

Wright was selected earlier than any Rebel since Ickey Woods became the highest-ever pick from the school at No. 31 overall (second round) to the Cincinnati Bengals. The only other UNLV player to go higher in the draft’s history was quarterback Randall Cunningham, who went 37th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1985.