Month: April 2024

Now that the NFL draft is over, let’s take a look at what they did. First remember when reading draft grades, which I don’t, the Browns draft strategy was to draft depth and future contributors. Of the six picks, I project four will make the 53-man roster. Michael Hall, Zak Zinter, Jamari Thrash and Nathaniel Watson. Myles Harden and Jowon Biggs can make the practice squad. Hall is actually the type of player DC Jim Schwartz wants, an interior pass rusher. He’s not excellent against the run, but he can hold his own. There is speculation for Hall to make the roster, Siaki Ika would be cut to make room. They aren’t the same player. Ika is a run stopper. The player that would be cut would be Maurice Hurst. Hall is younger and Hurst is always an injury risk. Bring everyone to training camp and let them fight it out.

Zak Zinter could be the Browns fourth guard, if they keep four. I think they will and keep two tight ends. More on that later. Jamari Thrash will probably push James Proche off the roster, unless Andrew Berry can trade him prior to the season started. It wouldn’t surprise me. As for Nathaniel Watson, he’s your substitute for Takitaki, but better. The roster players in jeopardy here are Tony Fields or Mohamoud Diabate. If Watson can play special teams at a high level, he’s making the team. Like I said, Harden & Biggs are practice squad players.

Looking at the undrafted free agents, G Javion Cohen, RB Aiden Robbins, CB Dyshawn Gales, TE Treyton Welch and C/OT Jalen Sundell are good players to place on the practice squad and develop. The others are camp bodies.

This draft and the previous moves made earlier this year, give you a hint on what the Browns are thinking on offense. Thrash and Jerry Jeudy are excellent at yards after the catch (YAC). The Browns were 26th in YAC in 2023. This means getting the ball out of Deshaun Watson’s hand quickly with short to intermediate passing. Thus, the Browns will probably only keep two tight ends. They might sign another veteran tight end for training camp to compete with Jordan Akins.

On defense, it looks like Jim Schwartz wants to more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Drafting Hall, signing Quinton Jefferson, and resigning Shelby Harris, Mo Hurst and Za’Darius Smith points to that conclusion. Hopefully they can find a way to keep Hurst on the roster. To help with pressure, the Browns picked up Greg Newsome’s fifth-year option. Pressure requires corners who can play press coverage. Ward, Emerson and Newsome are three of the best.

Other things I can conclude from the draft. No running back selected tells me the team is satisfied with Nick Chubb’s rehab. No tight end drafted tells me about the change in the offense. No left tackle drafted tells me they’ll either resign Wills or draft a tackle next year with their first pick. Next year is another good year for tackles. No safety drafted tells me they are satisfied with D’Anthony Bell and Ronnie Hickman.

Other news and notes. As I write this the Browns signed veteran center Brian Allen. He’s a six-year veteran who last played for the Rams where he started 32 games in four seasons. In 2021 he started sixteen games. This brings the Browns roster to 90 players. It appears the schedule will be released on May 9 and the rookie training camp is May 10-12. Stay safe and Go Browns.

The 2024 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, but for the Browns the fun begins on Friday night. This will be the last draft without a first-round pick for Cleveland. The Browns currently have six picks, but I expect them to trade down at some point during the draft to accumulate an additional pick possibly in the fourth round. I also expect one or both of their seventh-round picks to be involved in a trade. As for acquiring future picks, the Browns currently have eight picks in 2025 and seven in 2026. In 2025 they have one in each of the first four rounds, two in the sixth round and two in the seventh round. Cleveland has no fifth-round pick in 2025. As for 2026, they have one pick in each round. Here’s my final mock draft for 2024 with the age of the player and their Relative Activity Score (RAS).

Pick 54. Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU, age 21, RAS 9.40. Suamataia has good lateral movement to redirect pass rushers. Good quickness in outside zone pass blocking good acceleration as a pulling tackle. Had two years of starting experience at BYU. Will need to work on his hand placement.

Pick 85. Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington, age 22, RAS 8.84. Polk is a very consistent route runner. At 6’1″, 203 lbs., already has an NFL body type. Once the ball is in the air, he creates space and has strong hands to make contested catches. He can track down and finish deep throws. A very good run blocker.

Pick 156. Ben Sennott, TE, Kansas State, age 22, RAS 9.73. Sinnott has the ability to add to the passing game. A very good blocker who has the quickness to compete against man coverage. Can move the chains with his run-after-the-catch ability.

Pick 206. Brandon Coleman, OG, TCU, age unknown, RAS 9.97. Coleman was a three-year starter and a team captain in 2023. HAs roster flexibility, will be drafted as a guard, but has the ability to play tackle. His play at tackle will help him in pass protection as a guard where he has good technique and hand use.

Pick 227. Jaylen Harrell, ED, Michigan, age 22, RAS 8.46. Harrell has good quickness as an open field tackler. Has a legitimate pass rushing spin move and has the strength to detach from blockers. Developmental player.

Pick 243. Jaylon Carlies, S, Missouri, age 23, RAS 8.26. Carlies can make the transition from safety to linebacker. Has the size (6’3″, 227 lbs.) to wipe out blockers and is a force in run defense. Has the size and hand strength to take on big receivers.

Let me know what you think. Enjoy the draft and Go Browns.

The NFL draft is ten days away and looking at the players who have visited with the Browns, their draft strategy is wide open. They’ve talked to offensive linemen, defensive linemen, wide receivers, running backs, tight ends, linebackers and most recently cornerbacks and safeties. They also added another pick (#227 in the seventh round) with the trade of OL Leroy Watson to the Titans. I still don’t believe either seventh round pick will be used in this draft. Those are capital to use to move around. Here goes:

Pick 54. Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale, RAS N/A, age 22. Amegadjie is a favorite of mine. Would be ready to take over for Wills if the Browns don’t resign him for 2025. A great left tackle.

Pick 85. Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State, RAS 9.73, age 21. Sinnott has the ability to add to the passing game. A very good blocker who has the quickness to compete against man coverage. Can move the chains with his run-after-the-catch ability.

Pick 156. Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington, RAS 9.67, age 24. Ulofoshio is a six-year player. A very productive tackler in his final year in college. Physical and athletic. Can run through tacklers and play special teams.

Pick 206. Javion Cohen, OL, Miami Fl, RAS 5.59, age unknown. Cohen is a driving run blocker and makes effective use of his long arms in pass protection. Played a little heavier in 2023. Needs to get to his playing weight when he was at Alabama where he showed his athleticism.

Pick 227. Tahj Washington, WR, Souther Cal, RAS 5.13, age 23. Washington maintained his consistency over his four years in college. Very tough and can make contested catches that others can’t. A willing run blocker.

Pick 243. Jaylin Harrell, ED, Michigan, RAS 8.46, age 21. Harrell has good quickness as an open field tackler. Has a legitimate pass rushing spin move and has the strength to detach from blockers. Developmental player.

I have one more mock draft to do next week and that’ll be my final one. Let me know what you think.

Less than three weeks till the 2024 NFL draft and I’m starting to get a better understanding of the Browns draft strategy. For my third mock draft, I’ll be taking into consideration which players have met with the Browns, the team’s age guardrails and the players relative athletic score (RAS) from the combine. RAS is a one through ten score based on a player’s performance during the combine. While I still believe the Browns will trade down from pick 54, I’ll save any trades the closer we get to the draft. Here goes:

Pick 54. WR Keon Colman, Florida State, age 20, RAS 8.17. Colman is big and strong with soft hands. Uses his size as an advantage over defensive backs to win high throws. A perfect redzone receiver who can also return punts.

Pick 85. G Christian Haynes, U Conn, age 27, RAS 9.10. Haynes is a four-year starter. Plays with football intelligence and understands blocking angles. Wipes out opponents as a run blocker and is good in space for pass blocking.

Pick 156. LB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky, age 21, RAS 9.35. Wallace is a very explosive player. Has good burst and change of direction. He has good lateral agility. Can play special teams.

Pick 206. TE A.J. Barner, Michigan, age 21, RAS 8.70. Barner is an improving run blocker who can provide a quarterback with a big target. An in-line tight end who has improved as pass pro blocker.

Pick 243. OT Caeden Wallace, Penn St., age 23, RAS 8.22. Wallace has NFL size and can play both guard and tackle. Has big hands and is tenacious with his blocks. Has good body control and has good posture in pass set.

The key to this draft for the Browns is to add depth to the current roster, while also adding potential starters and contributors in 2025.