The Cleveland Browns have many holes to fill int he 2020 NFL off-season, but these are the positions of need that need to be addressed in the NFL Draft.
The Cleveland Browns have four picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, NV. As the players float across the Bellagio fountain to shake the hand of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and take their new team’s jersey, fans should be eager to see which person takes the jersey of the Cleveland Browns.
There are several positions of need for the Browns in this draft, and by several, one could easily say just about all. While some have talent at the top (linebackers, defensive ends, corners, wide receivers, etc), there’s no depth. Something that plagued the Browns last year on a consistent basis.
The Browns have four picks in the first three rounds, the Browns three picks, and Houston’s third-round pick. It was originally a fourth, but due to former Browns player Duke Johnson’s production with the Texans upon joining the team, the pick went from the 4th round to the 3rd round.
There’s a general rule of thumb among the NFL execs and fans that players taken in the first three rounds are all expected to be starters either in their rookie year or their second year in the league. So the expectation with these four picks is that you plug a few holes in the starting lineup right off the bat. So there are largely big expectations for these upcoming rookies, right or wrong.
Let’s hop into the speculation. Which positions need the most help? Which ones will be prioritized for the sake of the team? This won’t be about a specific player to draft, that list will come eventually. For now, this is merely identifying the three biggest needs for the 2020 Cleveland Browns.
Offensive Line
There’s no Joe Thomas in this draft that anyone knows of, but that doesn’t mean the team can’t find one. The problem with the Browns offensive line is that there isn’t one hole. There are potentially three. Both offensive tackles and the right guard position need to be replaced, and one could even make a case for improving the center position if there’s an available player worth having.
Left tackle Greg Robinson, center JC Tretter, right guard Wyatt Teller and right tackle Chris Hubbard are all on the chopping block to some degree. Arguably Tretter isn’t going anywhere, he’s a very solid blocker and even if a better center can be found, moving Tretter to guard is a viable option.
The tackles, however, need to be addressed. Blame Baker Mayfield all you want, and there’s a lot to pile on him sure, the fact is when you’re doing five to seven-step drops you need to keep the defense from touching Mayfield
They failed.
Mayfield was mauled by the defense on a consistent basis, with 41 sacks to his name and 66 hits on the quarterback. While the numbers reflect an offensive line that kept Mayfield upright, the fact is Mayfield rushed passes to avoid being hit. That needs to change and the Browns should use two of the first four picks to address the offensive line position in order to give Mayfield time.
The picks will obviously also help bolster the run game as well, something head coach Kevin Stefanski will rely on heavily in the 2020 season. Having a modified and hopefully improved offensive line for the upcoming season will only help to improve the offense next year, providing enough time for them to find their barrings. This, and a slot receiver or two, should truly help Mayfield improve on his slump of a sophomore season.
Tight End
David Njoku still has supporters in Cleveland, at least among the fanbase. Yet, entering his fourth year in the league, Njoku should be much farther along by now in his development of a player. He’s never been a strong blocker but was serviceable enough in the run game, but his injury issues have become too much to ignore. Njoku could still be a viable Ben Watson type of tight end, but the Browns need a Travis Kelce/George Kittle type. A true difference maker that can make Mayfield’s job a heck of a lot easier.
Stefanski likes to run behind and pass to tight ends. Even if Njoku stays on the roster, Stefanski will want a second guy to utilize to some degree in both the passing and running aspects of the offense. It’s not sure yet how the Browns view tight ends that are in the NFL 2020 Draft. Are they looking to draft a player in the second or third round in order to start, or is Stefanski eyeing a free agent or two in order to bolster the position?
The stats for the Browns 2019 tight ends were terrible. Just about any player picked should help bolster that lack of production.
It’s fair to say that the first player off the board for the Browns should be a lineman, it’s not hard to see the reason for that. Being the fanbase of Joe Thomas’ only pro team, Browns’ supporters know just how valued a great offensive lineman truly is. A great tight end is helpful, obviously, but the two best in the NFL (Travis Kelce/George Kittles) were picked in the 3rd and 5th rounds of their respective drafts. So picking one in the first isn’t necessary.
Browns fans don’t need another Kellen Winslow type either. Being flashy only does so much in this position. Nor does having an ego. George Kittles wasn’t complaining that he didn’t catch many passes in the NFC Championship, he did his job to keep his teammates untouched. There are going to be some interesting selections available in the 2nd or 3rd rounds more than likely. The problem comes with what type of tight end will the Browns get? Will they get a Kyle Brady type? A block-first tight end that can keep defensive ends off of Mayfield? It seems possible, especially if Njoku sticks around. That’s certainly something to keep an eye on.
Defensive Line
The Browns may or may not need a defensive end, considering what happens in free agency and Olivier Vernon’s status with the franchise. At least not in the first four picks. With the first and one third-round pick (probably CLE’s) going to offensive lineman, that leaves the other third and the second to fill some other holes. Who goes where will come down to who the franchise wants and how they value those players.
Will a defensive lineman be so unavoidable that they target that position in the second round? Will a tight end be so much more impactful in the second round, that the Browns give up on a coveted defensive lineman because the tight end has more immediate impact value for his position? That’s really the question that needs to be asked; what position of need will have the player who shows the most potential?
So it’s completely likely that the defensive lineman isn’t picked until the Browns 4th selection of the Draft. It makes the most sense to go tackle, as the interior was terrible at times. Especially when Myles Garrett wasn’t there to get double team attention. With Garrett off the field for who-knows-how-long, that means you need to get guys who can provide pressure and depth so that the linebackers (whoever they end up being) can actually meet the offense at the line of scrimmage.
Part of the issue with analytics is that they don’t measure everything, because how can it? How can you determine a linebacker’s efficacy with tackling when you don’t have lineman who can shed blocks to allow linebackers to get depth. When the defensive line is getting blocked into linebackers, you have a problem. That’s something that happened too much last year. If it wasn’t for Joe Schobert, the team may have looked even worse on defense.
Improving the defensive tackles would help the linebackers get depth, that way the team isn’t making tackles 4-5 yards off the of scrimmage so often. A defensive end could be selected here too, but a tackle is more needed to not just improve the line, but the play of the linebackers as well.