In 2008, Robert Griffin III and Terrelle Pryor were two of the most sought-after quarterbacks coming out of high school.
"He was the No. 1 rated player in the nation," Griffin said, laughing. "I was not."
Of course, Griffin went to Baylor and became the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner. Meanwhile, Pryor was the centerpiece of an Ohio State team that dominated the Big Ten during his tenure.
Now, the pair are teammates here in Cleveland -- Griffin as a quarterback and Pryor as a receiver.
"It's great to have him here and know that he is going to have that mindset of a quarterback and be where he is supposed to be and try to do everything the right way," said Griffin, who signed with the Browns in March.
It's an approach that's seemed to serve Pryor well so far this offseason, as he continues to make the transition from quarterback to receiver in his second season with the team. And upon the conclusion of the team's voluntary veteran minicamp last month, the 26-year-old offered reasons to believe he could be a big part of Cleveland's plans next year.
"He's big, tall and fast," said coach Hue Jackson, pointing to Pryor's 6-foot-4 frame and 4.4-second 40-yard dash speed.
After all, that's what made Pryor a star at Ohio State as one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks.
Selected by Oakland in the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft, Pryor played three seasons — including one under Jackson in 2011 — for the Raiders. In 2013, his final season in the Bay Area, Pryor played 11 games at quarterback and combined for 2,374 yards passing/rushing and nine touchdowns.
Pryor, who played in three games with the Browns last season, caught his first NFL pass — an acrobatic 42-yard haul — last season against the Steelers.
In some ways, it flashed the potential Pryor might have as a receiver and, speaking generally, a playmaker. And as Cleveland continues its offseason workouts, Pryor is poised to build on that momentum with the help of the coaching staff and his teammates.
"He seems like he is getting more and more comfortable playing the position and being out there. His skill set — he's big, fast and all of those things — but last year, you kind of saw him thinking a little bit while he was doing it, trying to do things right so it takes away from your skill set," quarterback Josh McCown said.
"He can be an asset to us. I'm just impressed, first and foremost, with just his work ethic, just how he is approaching it. Like we said last year, that's a hard thing to do. It's not very often that guys are afforded that opportunity to make a position change like that and/or are athletic enough to do it."
Griffin echoed a similar sentiment.
"He's obviously a big, athletic guy who can run and catch the ball. It's our job to continue to help him refine his skills. He's a quarterback at receiver so you know he is going to work hard. He is going to put in the extra time. He is going to do the studying," he said.
"I think the other guys are helping him as well. (Taylor Gabriel) and (Andrew Hawkins) and Brian (Hartline), they are really spending time with him and teaching him the craft and it is showing up on the film."
Indeed, after the team's first minicamp practice, Jackson said Pryor looks a "bit more natural playing receiver than what I would think."
"He's just learning. You guys are probably going to hear me say this a lot: He understands that he has work to do. He is just putting his head down and working. That is kind of a theme of ours. There is nothing to talk about right now. It is really about work and working hard," he said.
"He's one of the young men who have really dedicated themselves to really trying to improve himself in an area to give himself the opportunity to be a part of this football team."
