Cleveland Is Finally In Position To Take BPA
Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
As we get closer and closer to the 2024 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns are in an extremely interesting situation. On one hand, they really don’t have a position that is in dire need of a new starter, but on the other hand, they are also extremely limited on picks because of the trades they’ve made the last few seasons.
Historically you have seen teams with sustainable winning need to build through free agency, but also the draft. Andrew Berry has pushed that to the limit by making trades for guys like Deshaun Watson, Elijah Moore, and Jerry Jeudy, so it will be imperative for him to utilize his limited number of picks.
Heading into 2023 the Browns desperately needed a wide receiver and defensive tackle. With his first two picks, we saw Cedric Tillman (wide receiver) and Siaki Ika (defensive tackle) drafted. Because of the Watson and Moore trades last year, the Browns didn’t even have a pick until the third round.
What I’m getting at is Berry felt forced to draft the position of need right away. Both Ika and Tillman were stretch picks based on their collegiate production, and the pressure to fill a void forced a bad pick. I’d argue after the offseason that the Browns have had in 2024, there is a good chance that neither of those players even see the field next year.
With all that being said, the Browns are finally in a position where they can take the best available player for every single pick in this year’s draft. Yes, there are certainly a few positions that could use some depth, but you still have a lot of options.
Below are the two biggest needs in this year’s draft.
Cleveland Browns Draft Need: Offensive Line
When you look at this group on paper, you see a lot of big names and early draft picks like Jack Conklin, Jedrick Will, and Joel Bitonio, but when you look at production the last few years this group has underachieved.
A lot of folks want to be hard on Watson for struggling at times in his first few games with the Cleveland Browns, but the truth is the protection has been awful. If there is one thing that holds true for nearly every quarterback in the league, if you can get pressure on them, you can throw them off their game.
Tackle should be in better shape next year with Dawand Jones and Conklin healthy again, but Conklin has been hurt the last three years so it’s tough to have a ton of confidence in him. Wills should also be hypothetically healthy, but he has also struggled with nagging injuries the last few seasons.
The interior of the line is my biggest question mark. Bitonio is only getting older and Wyatt Teller is not meant to be in an offense that wants to throw the ball down the field. The Browns have very little depth behind the two starters, so I fully anticipate Berry taking a guard or center early in the draft.
The good thing about interior offensive linemen is that they can often come in and start early. Expect Berry to do a ton of homework at the position and attempt to get a starter as late as round four or five of this year’s draft.
Cleveland Browns Draft Need: Linebacker
Linebacker is another position where the Browns are in good shape with their starters. Jordan Hicks Devin Bush, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah check a lot of the boxes for me and I’m comfortable with the group heading into 2024.
However, JOK has missed games the last few seasons, Bush hasn’t proven he’s a solid NFL starter at this point, and Hicks is on the backside of his career which means that depth is important. After those three you have Tony Fields who has limited experience and Mohamoud Diabate who is a guy that made the roster last year based on a crazy preseason performance.
I don’t see Berry wanting to spend money at the position with JOK heading into the final year of his deal and because of how much they’ve recently invested at defensive tackle. I do see them using an early pick (potentially even round two), to bring in a linebacker to compete for some snaps in 2024.
Hopefully, they draft a guy early and unless he shines is never forced to play, but the Browns seem to always have injuries at linebacker, so having some depth would be great.
The Browns only have five picks in this year’s draft and none in the first round. And while they don’t desperately need any one position, the pressure will still be on Berry to get it right after missing on his first two picks last year.
If he can find one or two guys who can provide some benefits on the field next year, this team could be extremely dangerous.
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