Do you remember Louis Riddick?

A nickel safety and a great special-teamer, he played for head coach Bill Belichick’s Browns from 1993-95, the last three seasons in Cleveland of the original franchise before it moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens. Riddick was one of those virtual unknowns who Belichick brought in and played well.

He wore jersey No. 42, which should be retired since it once belonged to Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield. But that’s another story for another time.

Whatever the case, other than that, I don’t recall much about Riddick. I’m not sure I ever interviewed him.

But that was then and this is now, and now Riddick works as an NFL analyst for ESPN.

I think he’s the best NFL analyst on TV/radio, but if he’s not, then he’s certainly on the short list for such consideration.

He knows the game inside and out, he’s no-nonsense he doesn’t mince words and says exactly what he thinks, and he has the ability to take complex issues and explain them in plain English in an understandable way. As such, it is a joy to listen to him discuss football – or just about anything else, for that matter. He’s a smart guy – a very, very smart guy.

In my last post, I discussed all the rhetoric about the NFL Draft that’s out there. There’s so much of it that it’s numbing.

So, then, which guy do you believe?

 If it’s TV and radio you’re talking about, I say it’s Riddick.

And I don’t think it’s even close.

Now, before you say it,  let me be clear that I’m high on Riddick not because he played for the Browns – I would never do something like that – but because he’s the absolute best at what he does. I take note of the best in anything and everything, but especially when it involves football.

So in these seven weeks leading up to the draft, tune out much of the other noise and pay attention to Louis Riddick. You’ll be glad you did.