BEREA — The Cleveland Browns held a three-day minicamp over the weekend for its five rookie draft picks, 15 undrafted free-agent signees and 54 players who were invited to tryout for the team.

Browns head coach Romeo Crennel and his staff will sift through the pool of talent like a gold miner panning for gold in search of a hidden gem.

After one day of practice, rookie sixth-round pick WR Paul Hubbard is starting to glitter and members of the organization believe that the team may have struck gold with the player.

On Day 2 of practice, Hubbard continued to impress the coaching staff and was nearly flawless with his performance.

The 6-foot-3, 221-pound receiver caught the ball exceptionally well, snagging a number of passes thrown behind him for the reception. Hubbard ran routes like Magellan and showed good acceleration.

A speed guy

He was explosive off the line and was very effective running the ball after the catch. Hubbard did a nice job fighting off press-coverage and got good separation between him and the defender. His overall performance was stellar.

Hubbard was known as a speed guy at Wisconsin, running a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the school's Pro Day, but is looking to find his niche in the Browns' offense.

"I'm trying to fit in on this team any way possible," Hubbard said. "Whether it's on special teams or if they need another receiver to come in and give one of the other guys a break. I can go in there and make sure something good happens — whether it is blocking or if they decide to throw the ball. I'm going to know my plays and I'm going to know what to do."

Hubbard played all three wideout positions while with the Badgers and should have no problem picking up the team's offense rather quickly.

He's a leaper

"I'm intelligent when it comes to learning the playbook. I just hope it stays that way," he said. "I'm determined to learn the playbook so that I can get on the field as fast as possible."

Like all rookies, Hubbard said the hardest thing right now is adjusting to the speed of the game in the NFL.

The Browns' coaching staff could be looking at Hubbard as a possession receiver and a potential replacement for WR Joe Jurevicius, who at 33-years old is getting closer to the end of his career.

With a track background in the long jump, triple jump and 100 meters, Hubbard has a lot of athletic ability and would have no problem going up to catch a pass in traffic with his 39-1/2 inch vertical jump. The man can sky.

Hubbard is considered a raw talent but there are those who believe that once he hones his skills he could be an impact player for the Browns. Judging by the receiver's performance in minicamp he could be on his way.