Thursday, April 27, 2023

Cleveland Browns Draft Preview

   The Cleveland Browns still have needs entering the NFL Draft but will not be plugging them with immediate help from the annual college draft.

The Browns won't be selecting anyone until later on the second day of the draft since they have moved their first-rounder as the latest payment to Houston for DeShaun Watson and their second-round selection to the New York Jets for wide receiver Elijah Moore and the Jets' third-round pick.

That trade does give Cleveland two picks in the third round as the Browns have a compensation choice at number ninety-eight at the end of the third round, so it's possible the Browns could move into the middle to the late second round, should there be a player that Andrew Berry thinks has fallen farther than they should have and provides excellent value.

However, I think it's more likely, especially with the New York pick at 74, that the Browns could decide to move down if they could add some draft capital in the 2024 draft, where the Browns will complete their obligations to the Houston Texans for DeShaun Watson and as of now lack a first and fourth-rounder (Houston) and their sixth-rounder belongs to Atlanta after their mid-season swap for Deion Jones.

Cleveland does own Carolina's fifth-rounder (for Baker Mayfield) and Atlanta's seventh-rounder as part of the Deion Jones trade but I definitely could see the Browns working on something that could gain them a third or fourth in the 2024 draft if the opportunity arose.

The Browns could use a defensive lineman with defensive tackle a higher need with the possible legal issues with second-year defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey.

Defensive end could also be addressed as could linebacker with seemingly every player at the position coming off one injury or another from last season.

Andrew Berry loves to draft cornerbacks and it's often said that one can never have too many good ones.

I'd like to see a safety during the draft as the depth behind starters Juan Thornhill and Grant Delpit can easily be questioned.

On offense, I'd like to see some picks spread around as all of the positions are in a position to be addressed.

I always like seeing a later-round quarterback selected, the losses of Kareem Hunt and D'Ernest Johnson would make sense to add to the running back corps, and I still think wide receiver could use some help in-depth with the injury to 2022 draftee Michael Woods.

The Browns signed Jordan Akins to help at tight end but Harrison Bryant may be gone in next year's free agency and it could be a good idea to get his replacement into the fold now rather than later.

The biggest need could be an offensive tackle with Jack Conklin aging and 2021 draftee James Hudson still developing, so another player at the position to compete for a backup role would be a smart decision.

In the end with those third-round picks, I wouldn't be surprised at any positional choice and the Browns under Andrew Berry have been huge believers in the best player available theory.

In this particular case, I would agree with that decision.

There are several positions that could use some help on the depth chart but none has such a glaring need with the possible exception of the defensive line that one could state with certainty that the Browns will take someone at a specific spot with their earliest pick.

I hope to make time to mention a few players that I think would be good selections for the Browns with the third-round pick that they obtained from the Jets that may have a chance to be available.



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