The Cleveland Browns have had an eventful offseason for a team that fell just short of a playoff berth. From trading for Deshaun Watson and planning to part with Baker Mayfield to acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper, the Browns assessed where they were as a franchise and determined it was time for a significant change. Although they do not have a first-round pick, the Browns still have an opportunity to upgrade the roster through the 2022 NFL Draft:
Here is one projection for how three days in Las Vegas could play out in a perfect scenario for Cleveland:
Round 2: Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC
Jackson is a young player with limited production at USC. In my opinion, the Trojans did not use him to his full potential. He was often asked to work in space rather than working vertically towards the quarterback. His size is not conducive to that style of play. If he slides into that Cleveland defensive front opposite Myles Garrett and is just asked to pursue the quarterback, it will give him the best opportunity to be successful.
Round 3: Khalil Shakir, WR, Boise State and Matthew Butler, DT, Tennessee
Cleveland could have brought Jarvis Landry back by now so there is reason to believe they are waiting to see how the draft plays out next week. Shakir has a similar skill set to Landry but would be much more cost efficient and younger, which is important given recent financial commitments to Denzel Ward, Myles Garrett and Deshaun Watson.
Butler has great first-step quickness. He is going to attack gaps and apply pressure to the opposition. The Browns have struggled to find consistent play at the position over the years and that could warrant an earlier investment in the position.
Round 4: Cade Otton, TE, Washington
The team made the decision to move on from Austin Hooper and franchise tag former first-round pick David Njoku. The position is critical to the team’s offensive scheme and requires depth in the event of injury. Harrison Bryant has been a good player to this point in his career, but Otton gives them playable depth. Although coming off an injury, he has shown an ability to make plays outside of his frame and block on the edge.
Round 6: Jeremiah Gemmel, LB, North Carolina
Gemmel is a very intelligent prospect who can serve as depth and a special teams contributor immediately. At this stage of the draft, the team needs to find players capable of providing value on special teams.
Round 7: Chris Hinton, DT, Michigan and Damone Clark, LB, LSU
Hinton is another young player who performed better in 2020 than he did in 2021. Defensive tackle is a position where the Browns can afford to double dip and they do it with a player that clears a lot of their guardrails. Clark is coming off spinal infusion surgery and that is going to tank his draft stock unfortunately. Seventh round picks have little chance to achieve success so it makes sense to gamble on a player that has a much higher ceiling when healthy. Cleveland can allow him as much time as necessary.
