Ex-Rebels cornerback Wright turns heads at Browns camp

The development is welcome, and maybe even a bit of a surprise, in the Cleveland area, but it’s no shock to Wright or his former UNLV coach, Mike Sanford.

“That doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Sanford said. “I’ve said all along I thought he was a first-round talent, and the only thing that held him back from being a first-rounder was his history. In my mind, a first-round talent has the ability to start if it’s the right team and the right situation.”

Wright was drafted in the second round, the 53rd overall pick, largely because of off-field issues when he played at Southern California.

Fans can get a sneak peek into Wright’s personality this week when the NFL Network shadows him at the league’s Rookie Symposium in West Palm Beach, Fla. Wright and Houston Texans first-round pick Amobi Okoye will be wired, and footage will be shown on “Total Access,” a weekday show.

Wright sees a camera following him as an opportunity for those who don’t know him to get a positive impression.

“I’ve just got to be myself,” Wright said. “I know everybody (close to me) loves me anyway. A lot of people don’t know me.”

Wright could get much more attention if he builds on the potential he showed in minicamp, which ended June 14.

Wright’s eye-catching performance created speculation among the media that he might become a starter this season.

Browns coach Romeo Crennel singled out Wright among a group of rookies that included first-round picks Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn. Thomas, an offensive tackle out of Wisconsin, was the No. 3 choice. Former Notre Dame star Quinn, perhaps the Browns’ quarterback of the future, was the No. 22 selection.

“If anybody stood above anybody, I think that probably … Wright’s ability stood above,” Crennel told reporters at minicamp. “He does have good ability, and that did show up. He’s still a long way away, just like the rest of them.”

Wright opened minicamp working with the second team and quickly moved up to sharing time with the first string. He was aided by the absence of Leigh Bodden, a fifth-year veteran who had ankle surgery, but Wright still left enough of a mark to get the Browns to consider him as a starter.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t” think about it, Wright said. “I focused early on taking things day by day and doing the little things right, and everything else will fall into place.”

Crennel didn’t make any promises but made clear that Wright’s early work got the club’s attention.

“Eric has good ability and … we feel good about his ability and his confidence at the position,” Crennel said. “He’s a smooth athlete who has some quickness and seems to have the type of demeanor that a defensive back needs — that you don’t get too rattled easily and forget the play if it’s a bad play.

“Even if it’s a good play, you forget it and move on to the next one. He seems to have the ability to do that. I think that when we get the pads on that he’ll have an opportunity to fight his way into the mix.”

The Browns open training camp July 27, and Wright will take advantage of free time to return to Las Vegas and his hometown of San Francisco.

The Browns took what many considered a major chance by trading up to draft Wright. The decision was criticized immediately on ESPN2, but Sports Illustrated later ran an article detailing the thorough background work the Browns put in before choosing Wright.

Several scouts asked Sanford plenty of questions before the draft about Wright’s background, but they also were interested in the player’s relative lack of experience. Though Wright was outstanding at times while playing for USC and UNLV, he appeared in only 22 games.

“(Scouts) trusted my opinion because I coached in the NFL,” said Sanford, the wide receivers coach with the San Diego Chargers from 1999 to 2001. “I know the two guys who pulled the trigger with the Browns. (General manager) Phil Savage and Bill Rees, the director of scouting, are both guys I’ve known for a long time, and there’s a level of trust between me and them.”

Wright was happy the Browns chose him, especially because they traded up on draft day to get him. But now the draft is a distant memory.

“It’s really about getting in and proving myself and proving that I belong and I have the ability to play and help out the team,” Wright said. “If you’re a first-rounder, you have to perform. If you’re a seventh-rounder, you have to perform. If you’re a free agent, you have to perform.

“Anybody can get cut. The league wants players, and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you’re drafted.”