Cleveland Browns Draft Review

The NFL draft is officially over and it’s time to give our grades on how teams drafted. The Browns entered the draft needed offensive line help and were rumored to be active in the Trent Williams sweepstakes. They ultimately went ahead and decided to grab a young offensive lineman with their first-round pick.

Make sure to check out all of our other NFL team drafts reviews here.

Round 1, Pick 10: Jedrick Wills Jr. OT, Alabama

The Browns wasted no time selecting Wills. GM Andrew Berry said after the draft that Wills was their top-choice at tackle and they were surprised that he fell to them at their pick. The Browns picked up their long-term tackle to protect Baker Mayfield‘s blindside. While Wills was primarily a right-tackle at Alabama, Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski already confirmed that Wills will be playing left-tackle. While I would rather the Browns have drafted someone who played left-tackle like Tristian Wirfs or Mekhi Becton, Willis was my second-rated tackle heading into the draft.

Full Scouting Report here.

Grade: B+

Round 2, Pick 44: Grant Delpit, S, LSU

After tackle, safety was the Browns biggest need. Not only did the Browns add one of the top safeties in the draft, but they also traded back three spots to this pick and picked up a fifth-round pick in the process. Delpit was a clear-fire first-rounder but concerns about his open-field tackling saw him drop to the second round. He will be paired up with Sheldrick Redwine to have one of the most physical defensive backfields, but also one of the most inexperienced. Delpit was my second-rated safety behind Antoine Winfield Jr. who went to the Buccaneers the very next pick. I love Delpit’s potential, but he has some work to do if he wants to live up to his potential.

Full Scouting Report here.

Grade: B-

Round 3, Pick 88: Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri

I have long said that an elite defensive line is one of the most important parts of building a championship team. While the Browns have Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson at DT, depth at this position is just as important. With this pick, the Browns were the only team at that point to have all of their draft selections be rated in PFF’s top-25 prospects. Elliott’s combination of speed and athleticism makes him a steal at this pick.

Grade: A-

Round 3, Pick 97: Jacob Phillips, LB, LSU

The Browns lost both Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey this offseason. The Browns had to address the LB position at some point in this draft. Phillips led the undefeated LSU Tigers in tackles with 113. Phillips will most likely be plugged into the starting lineup right away because of the Browns’ lack of depth. Cleveland loves his ability to tackle and “cover ground.”

Grade: B

Round 4, Pick 115: Harrison Bryant, TE, Florida Atlantic

I was a little surprised by this pick at first. But Stefanski is a big fan of two-TE sets, as seen with Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr last year in Minnesota. The Browns already have David Njoku and signed Austin Hooper this offseason so adding Bryant is more of a depth move. Also, Mayfield has always relied on his TEs, dating back to his time at Oklahoma. Bryant won the Mackey Award as the nation’s best TE and was the first TE since 2013 to finish for more than 1,000 yards in the FBS since 2013.

Grade: B-

Round 5, Pick 160: Nick Harris, C/G, Washington

The theme of this draft seemed to be depth. Harris was a center as Washington, but also started 18 of his 42 games at guard. The Browns are already set at center with J.C. Tretter so Harris will not be playing center for the Browns. The Browns do have a need at right-guard so his versatility might be an added bonus.

Grade: C+

Round 6, Pick 187: Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan

I couldn’t believe that Peoples-Jones fell this far. Outside of Odell Beckham Jr.and Jarvis Landry, the Browns didn’t have a true number three wide receiver. Peoples-Jones suffered from bad QB play at Michigan, which hurt his stock. But his versatility to line up in the slot and return punts make him a true steal in this draft.

Grade: A-

Overall, the Browns did a really good job with this draft. They addressed every need while not reaching for prospects. They let the draft come to them and did a good job selecting for need, not talent.

Overall Grade: B+

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