The smoke has settled on the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 NFL Draft and while there’s always going to be disagreement, they got these four things right.
The draft was a welcomed distraction for fans of the Cleveland Browns and the NFL, alike. With most of us in quarantine, the idea of watching real sports made this year’s draft one of the most watched in history.
The first part of the draft went as expected, with Joe Burrow landing in Cincinnati, and Buckeye Chase Young reuniting with Dwayne Haskins in Washington D.C.
Undoubtedly, Browns fans started getting a tad worked up when the Giants made Andrew Thomas the fourth overall pick. Would the run on the highly regarded offensive tackle class commence?
More on that later.
In all, the Browns added seven new rookies to their roster by way of the draft.
Here’s four the things the Browns and first-year general manager Andrew Berry absolutely nailed over draft weekend.
1. Biggest needs addressed
The Browns three biggest needs entering the draft were left tackle, safety and linebacker, and by the end of the third round, Andrew Berry attacked each problem.
With the first pick, he found, potentially, a left tackle in Jedrick Wills, who will be the blindside protector for the next decade.
Next, he found a ballhawking, playmaking safety in Grant Delpit. This prospect figures to inject life into a secondary that was missing the turnover gene a season ago.
At linebacker, with his second pick in the third round, he took LSU’s Jacob Phillip, a player who missed just three tackles in 88 attempts, while leading the national champions in takedowns.
Most of these picks were well received by the fan base, but there’s a sect of us who won’t forget that Berry passed on Antoine Winfield Jr. and Malik Harrison with his second and third-round selections.
Winfield, a native of Columbus and son of a Buckeye legend, balled out for an overachieving Minnesota team a season ago, while Malik Harrison was thought as the quiet guy who made all the plays Chase Young didn’t for Ohio State.
The Harrison pick will particularly stand out, because for years, the Browns seemed allergic to taking Ohio State players. Yes, it’s ridiculous to take a player just because he went to OSU, but you’ve got to be GREAT to even be considered for the Buckeyes. They churn out NFL talent like the Jersey Cattle produce milk.
Harrison was selected one pick later, by the Ravens, no less. Based off watching the Browns the last 20, years, you know how this plays out!
I digress. They took three excellent college players who played at big-time college progams with a history of production.
2. They didn’t trade down
First, try and convince a gullible friend who doesn’t know all that much about football that the Vikings are being sued. Claim Ezra Cleveland’s surname is Cleveland, which means he’s contractually obligated to play for the Cleveland Browns and that Minnesota is violating league rules.
After they take the bait, give yourself a pat on the shoulder. Well done. Now, be thankful the Boise State isn’t who the Browns tapped to be their left tackle.
There’s just a good feeling knowing Alabama and SEC stalwart Jedrick Wills is going to be protecting Baker Mayfield’s blind side. Cleveland might be a good player, but the safer bet is Wills.
It took the Browns running through Desmond Harrison and Greg Robinson to finally figure out that the left tackle needed to be addressed in the early portion of the draft. You can hem and haw about which prospect they should have taken, but Wirfs is drawing consensus praise as the right choice.
In 929 passing blocking attempts, Wills allowed one sack, I repeat, one sack, while wearing a Crimson Tide uniform.
3. Trade downs they made, made sense
Sitting at No. 41, the Browns made a deal with the Colts, moving down three spots, while adding a fifth-round pick, who became center Nick Harris, from Washington.
When they went on the clock at 41, the guy they wanted was still there, in the form of Grant Delpit.
In the second trade of the third round, Cleveland jumped down from 74 to No. 88. In trading up, New Orleans grabbed Wisconsin’s Zack Baun. Obviously, the Browns didn’t like him, or he would’ve been their guy.
When their name came due at 88, Cleveland picked defensive tackle Jordan Elliott.
Kevin Stefanski made a great point about defensive tackles being like hockey players. Throughout the course of game, you’re going to need to move players in and out and now the Browns have more depth to go along with Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi and Andrew Billing.
Cleveland really wants to clamp down on the run (something we say every year), and that starts in the trenches. Having fresh legs is critical.
Additionally, for moving down from 88, the Browns also had to surrender a seventh-round pick. This was such as great move by Berry, as the team picked up New Orlean’s 2021 third-rounder for doing so.
Give me a third-rounder next year over a seventh-rounder, who might not make this year’s team any day.
4. Replaced Higgins with Upside
The Browns have their new Rashard Higgins in the form of MIchigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones. Our own Mike Graham mocked DPJ to Cleveland in the later rounds, and he’s an intriguing talent, even after under performing at Michigan.
As Ohio State fans know, Michigan has endured some terrible quarterback play under John Harbaugh, so that’s worth noting when evaluating Peoples-Jones.
The big thing with DPJ is analytics. The Michigan product SPARQ score tested in the 99th percentile, and you know how much Paul DePodesta loves him him some SPARQ score testing.
Additionally, this a good pick because they’re not going to be much expected of DPJ in year one. The Browns will run a lot of two receiver sets. You’ll see a fullback and two tight ends. Ideally, bringing DPJ along slowly will help his development.
The Browns were lacking wide-receiver talent after their big two of Jarvis Landry and OBJ, now they’ve got a prospect who brings an awful lot of potential. I know some Buckeye fans who will disagree with passing on K.J. Hill on the board, but when you’re talking sixth-round, you’re talking ceiling.
Jones is listed at 6-1, 212 pounds. He posted a 44.5 vertical and 11.58″ broad. He also turned in a 4.48 second mark in the 40.