Grading the Cleveland Browns 2020 draft class at the mid-year point
By Chad Porto
The Cleveland Browns class of 2020 is getting reevaluated
The Cleveland Browns are mid-way through their third year under Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski. The team is a mess, they’re 10-14 over their last 24 games, and are one of the worst squads in the NFL for 2022. Some will blame Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett but Mayfield got the team to the playoffs and Brissett has been really strong considering his physical limitations. The issue, at least over the last two years, has been a lack of talent around them.
The Browns have been one of the most hyped, but least proven teams over the last two seasons. Letting go of key veteran players, while replacing them with the drafted talent has helped highlight the issues this team has. The young players being called upon to step up have not and have failed in such a monumental way, it’s calling into question Berry’s ability to scout talent.
After all, it’s not just the guys he’s drafting but the guys he’s trading for and signing. He already had to eat a lot of money to get rid of Austin Hooper, one of his biggest free agent signings, and he has destroyed so much of the future cap paying for guys like Jadeveon Clowne, Amari Cooper, and Deshaun Watson, that this team’s window to win is now.
Having unreliable young players be the backbone of your team is exactly why we’re in this mess. So evaluating the draft picks is not only necessary, but it’s part of the evaluation needed to see what needs to be fixed.