The Athletic taps 1st-round upside for Cleveland Browns in 2022 mock draft

The Cleveland Browns have been big spenders the past two seasons, with the team inking Myles Garrett, Deshaun Watson and Denzel Ward to nine-figure contracts.

With less wiggle-room to sign free-agents on the salary cap, the Browns have to hit on a few more draft picks in order to keep the depth of the roster strong.

It’s always interesting to see 7-round mocks coming out closer to the draft, especially from blue-blood names of draft gurus.

This one is from The Athletic’s Dane Bruger (subscription required), who recently made his latest predictions for The Athletic.

Here’s how I graded out Brugler’s picks ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Cleveland Browns, Round 2, Pick 44: Logan Hall, DL, Houston

Grade–A: Some are saying Hall is a first-round talent who is more likely to fall to the second because he’s still a work in progress on the defensive line.

His body went through a transformation that Houston is using to pitch recruits, as Hall added a lot of muscle to jump from from 250 pounds to 275.

From the Browns viewpoint, Hall offers versatility and the potential to rush the passer from both the edge and the inside.

Cougars’ defensive line coach Brian Early told the Akron Beacon Journal that Hall has “got things that you can’t coach with that type of length and athleticism.”

The Browns have been looking to add consistent pass rushers to accompany Garrett ever since the rookie joined the team back in 2019. They found some success in Jadeveon Clowney, who recorded 9.5 sacks a season ago, but have had no luck finding anyone who can be a true threat from the inside.