Indianapolis - Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells is a player the Browns are considering with the No. 5 overall pick, and his solid workout at the NFL Scouting Combine Sunday probably did nothing to dissuade them.

"Obviously we've got a [junior] down south that's local [Beanie Wells] and we're gonna take a look at him in terms of how he can help our Football team," said Browns General Manager George Kokinis.

Wells, an Akron native, admitted it would be a dream for him to play for his local NFL team.

"That would be beautiful, to be able to stay home and play," Wells said Friday in the media room at Lucas Oil Stadium. "But it's a dream already for me to have the opportunity to play in the NFL. Me playing for the Browns, that would be just blessed."

Wells, (6-1, 235) didn't run the 40 as fast he had hoped - he was timed in 4.59 seconds - but several coaches and scouts said that's about what you'd expect for a player his size. What impressed them was his 10 feet, 8 inches in the broad jump.

It was the second-best at any position at the combine so far. Scouts said he also had a good vertical jump, although results were not immediately available.

"What the 40 tells me with running backs is go check the tape again," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. "With Beanie Wells, there's explosion. He had one of the best, if not the best, broad jumps. He had a good vertical jump. He has lower body explosion, but he isn't going to run away from a corner that runs a 4.3. What he will do is run over that corner, hopefully, and stay healthy because that's his biggest issue."

One NFL running backs coach said teams and analysts are making too much of Wells' durability questions. He played with a wrist injury and a severely sprained ankle in 2007 and sat out three games in 2008 with a toe injury - the only missed games of his career. "People should be looking at the fact that he played hurt instead of the fact that he missed a few games," said the coach. "Beanie Wells is a tremendous competitor. He's a big man, he runs big and he plays big. He's got everything you'd want in a power back."

Another NFL offensive assistant said: "Beanie Wells is the type of back who's going to rush for 1,100 or 1,200 yards a year. He wants to do it in Cleveland . The Browns should draft him and let him help make the Browns into a winner."

One AFC scout said: "The Browns have passed on LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson. If they have the chance to pick Beanie Wells, they should consider it. He's going to be a very successful back in the NFL."

Rob Rang, draft analyst for nfldraftscout.com, said Wells' 40 time was comparable to his main competitor to be the first back picked, Georgia's Knowshon Moreno. Moreno, who's about 5-10, 215, was clocked at an unofficial time of 4.55 and 4.63.

"Moreno ran even slower at a lighter weight," Rang said. "That was one of the questions about both of these players is that they lack that top-end speed. But you can see on film that they're both dynamic players. If you go down the NFL record books, not every top back had top-end speed."

Rang said Wells would be a good pick for the Browns at No. 5 despite the 4.59.

"He has a blend of size and power that scouts rarely see," he said. "On film he's fast and he's elusive and he can break away from guys who are 30 pounds lighter than him. For Cleveland, it makes so much sense, not only because of the local ties, but he can be a true bell-cow back no matter which quarterback they use. Then, of course, there's the fact that Jamal Lewis [who will turn 30 in August] is aging."

If the Browns don't think Wells is worth the No. 5 pick, they can always consider him later if they trade down.

Heading into the Combine, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said Wells' time in the 40 would determine his spot in the first round. He predicted a 4.38 to 4.42 might land him in the top 10 to top 15, while a 4.48 to 4.5 could cause him to fall to Philadelphia at No. 21.

Wells still has his Pro Day at Ohio State next month to improve on the 40 time.

"I'm a competitor," he said Friday. "I can go out there at 235 and I can run with the little guys, I can run with the best of them."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670