Ranking and grading each Browns player from the 2019 NFL Draft
By Chad Porto
We’re taking a look at the Cleveland Browns 2019 NFL Draft class.
The Cleveland Browns had a rough 2021, with failed expectations as far as the eye can see. Yet, with each season, hope springs anew as the NFL Draft rolls around. That’s no different in 2022, as the Browns will once again attempt to rectify their issues through the draft process once again. That’s why we’re continuing on with the evaluation of past draft classes, in order to see who has really stepped up over the years for the squad.
The 2019 Draft featured Kyler Murray, Nick Bosa, and Josh Allen going in the Top 10 (not that Josh Allen), and was also the year the Browns didn’t have a first-round pick; having traded it away for Odell Beckham Jr. Imagine if they had kept the pick and selected Deboo Samuel with it instead?
This was a different regime, however. The last year before Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski took over from John Dorsey and Freddie Kitchens. Dorsey drafted fairly well, at least at the top of the draft, something Berry has continued on with.
Despite the different regimes, did Dorsey’s last draft really make an impact on the Cleveland Browns overall? It’s fair to say that, yeah, actually, the 2019 draft had a bit more impact on the current team than meets the eye.
The evaluation process of rookies is not a complete process. Each year they’re in the league on their rookie contract gives you more and more of an idea of what to expect from them. Sometimes your initial evaluations of a player are enough. Other times you need a few years. Each guy is different, and not everyone is worth giving four years to, or throwing out after just one.
So with the 2019 NFL Draft class, you’re going to get to see a fairly accurate evaluation of them so far.