As a Browns fan, we tend to treat the NFL draft differently than most NFL fans. Sure all NFL fans love the draft, as evidenced by the television ratings for the first night. An average of 15.6 million viewers watched round one, a 37% increase over last year. The top three cities were Columbus, OH (16.7), Cleveland, OH (15.9) and Cincinnati, OH (15.6). You can attribute the high ratings for Columbus because of the former Buckeye’s being drafted early and Cincinnati because the Bengals had the first pick. As for Cleveland, well lets just say Browns fans are different when it comes to the draft. Most non Cleveland sports pundits say the draft is our Super Bowl. That’s a load of crap. To a Browns fan the draft is like a three day Christmas morning. We get new stuff, some we like, some we don’t like and in the end we find it’s true value after a period of time. No it’s not our Super Bowl. When the Browns reach the Super Bowl and it will be soon, THAT will be our Super Bowl. So lets take a look the 2020 Cleveland Browns draft class. All player profiles are from Thedraftnetwork.com.
#10 Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama. “Jedrick Willis is a plug and play Pro Bowl caliber OT in the NFL. Wills has surreal ability as a pass protector, he’s violent, he’s controlled, he’s smooth and he’s smart. Wills plays with a chip on his shoulder and brings the kind of attitude adjustment up front that can make wakes and change the demeanor of an offensive line. Supremely gifted, Wills is especially attractive to teams that push the ball vertically, as his movement skills allow him to shine on an island in pass protection. STUD.”
# 44 Grant Delpit, S, LSU. “Grant Delpit projects as an impact defender at the NFL level. Tackling issues in the open field will put off some teams, but he’s physically capable of booming hits and his foundation as a player is a pretty rare blend of skills — making him an enticing every down defender that can be a centerpiece to weekly game plans. Delpit has high football intelligence and can handle any number of roles or responsibilities, adding him to a roster will add infinite flexibility to back-end coverage combos.”
# 88 Jordan Elliot, DT, Missouri. “Jordan Elliott projects as a rotational penetration defender at the NFL level. Elliott showcases some desirable short area quickness and natural leverage, which allows him to challenge gaps when playing 3T or 5T and firing off at the snap. Elliott’s lack of length and hand power poses a significant problem to playing an every down role at the NFL and resetting the LOS against the run, as a result he’s most suited to serve as a rotational pass rusher and use his quickness to win.”
# 97 Jacob Phillips, LB, LSU. “LSU linebacker Jacob Phillips was a two-year starter for the Tigers and he led the SEC in tackles last season. There’s a lot to like about his ability to trigger downhill against the run and the energy he plays with. Phillips has proven to be a reliable tackler and he operates under control. With that said, his coverage instincts, processing skills, agility and lateral mobility don’t impress. Phillips’ profiles well to special teams which will be key for him sticking and having a chance to develop as an off-ball linebacker.”
#115 Harrison Bryant, TE, Florida International. “FAU tight end Harrison Bryant enters the NFL after producing monster numbers for a tight end in 2019. As a versatile receiving option that can execute from a variety of alignments, Bryant is appealing. He has enough athletic ability, route running technique and ball skills to create some matchup problems. His blend of ball skills and ability to create after the catch makes him an option at all levels of the field. With that said, the traditional in-line duties of a tight end aren’t Bryant’s strong suit. You won’t catch him widening gaps in the trenches although he’s fairly effective blocking on the move. Bryant profiles as a quality TE2.”
#160 Nick Harris, C, Washington. “Starting over 40 games with experience at both guard and center, Harris projects best to playing center in the NFL where he will see less situations where he is covered. For a team in search of an athletic center that thrives pulling and climbing to the second level while employing a zone run scheme, Harris is an exciting option. While he isn’t the most physically dominant run blocker and his anchor can be compromised in pass protection, Harris is highly competitive, technically-sound and his functional mobility is impressive. He may be a scheme-specific prospect, but he has the makings of a starter in the right offense in time.”
#187 Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan. “Donovan Peoples-Jones is going to be a much better pro than he was college player at Michigan. The Wolverines offense failed to provide Peoples-Jones with the targets and touches his skills and ability demanded — he was open much more often than he was targeted. “DPJ” will bring consistency in the return game but he should make a big jump as a “big slot” receiver at the next level, teams looking to implement spread sets should prioritize targeting him for their offense thanks to his versatility.”
I don’t rate drafts because there’s no way of knowing how a player turns out until they actually play, but for those interested Profootballfocus rated the Browns draft as an A+. The Browns first three picks were in PFF’s top 100. The only real questionable pick is center Nick Harris out of Washington. No the Browns aren’t going to cut J.C. Tretter. Harris can play guard, his best position just happens to be center and he can develop as a center/guard. The Browns finally have a GM who’s trying to make the offensive line better. As for Harrison Bryant and Donovan Peoples-Jones, both are big targets who can create space. Bryant will add to a crowded TE room and Peoples-Jones can also return kicks. As for those who say drafting a WR shuts the door on Rashard Higgins returning, I can still see him re-signing with the Browns, probably on a one year deal.
My next favorite part of the draft is the signing of undrafted free agents. And the Browns, like most teams didn’t waste any time. Here’s the list as I know it today. QB Kenny Davidson, Princeton, RB Brian Herrien Georgia, RB Benny LeMay, Charlotte, WR Tony Brown, Colorado, WR Ja’Marcus Bradley Louisiana Lafayette, TE Nate Wieting, Iowa, OT Alex Taylor, South Carolina State, OL Drake Dorbeck Southern Miss., DE George Obinna, Sacramento State, DL Jeffery Whatley South Alabama, LB Solomon Ajayi, Liberty, CB, A.J. Green, Oklahoma State, CB Jameson Houston, Baylor, S Jovante Moffett, MTSU and S Elijah Benton, Liberty. Out of this group, only A.J. Green, Ja’Marcus Bradley and Alex Taylor stand out. Alex Taylor is going to stand out anywhere, the dude is 6’9″. All are developmental players and the Browns should be able to sneak them onto the practice squad. The Browns must really think a lot of A.J. Green, reportedly they are going to pay him $145,000.00. That’s quite a contract for a UDFA.
So all in all I think the new front office did a great job. Andrew Berry let the draft come to him and he stuck to his board. The trades freaked me out at first, but getting Grant Delpit at 44, Jordan Elliot in the 3rd round and Nick Harris in the 5th makes more sense. The Browns have had a great off season. Hopefully they’ll be able to sign Higgins and LB Nigel Bradham, if he can pass a physical and his price comes down. As for cap space, the Browns still have 38.4 million according to overthecap.com. That’s the most cap space of any team. We’ll be finding out their rookie salary pool soon and the schedule should be announced by May 9th. You got to love the NFL, major pandemic in the world and they keep to their schedule. Not only do they own the room, they own the whole block. So remember to stay safe, wear a mask if you leave your house, support your local businesses and WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS. I hope to god I don’t see another mock draft until February 2021, Go Browns.