Factory of Sadness’s 2023 Cleveland Browns Mock Draft version 1

Our first 2023 Cleveland Brown Mock Draft of the offseason.

The Cleveland Browns are nearing the draft, and with each passing day comes more and more discussion over what the team needs. The aspects that need to be improved upon include better pass-rushing, better interior line defense against the run, and more receivers to cycle in and out for the Browns’ new spread offense.

So that means defensive tackles, defensive ends, and wide receivers are a premium. Not only that but we want to provide a potential second starter at safety and some offensive line depth. So that was where we focused our efforts on.

Now, we used the PFF Mock Draft Simulator for this article. Do your own Mock Draft and see how well you did with filling the Browns’ biggest needs.

I’m shocked that Andre Carter II fell to the third round in the mock draft. Carter is a borderline first-to-second-round pick in the eyes of many, but clearly, his somewhat down senior year and lackluster combine, and the somewhat better pro day didn’t make people overly excited. He’s not some super athlete, but Carter is a very good football player and could be an instant starter for any team that takes a gamble on him.

The Browns would do well to leap on Carter if he somehow falls to pick 74 in the NFL Draft. The Browns won’t have a chance to land any rookies until the second day of the draft and that makes shoring up the roster and getting a few starters all that much harder. While Carter may not be a blue-chip prospect, capable of turning around a franchise on his own, he comes in with one of the highest floors of all prospects in the draft.

The issue is that his ceiling isn’t very high. So he may not be a guy you want in the first round, but by the time the third round comes around, his pro-ready body and his high floor make him a very attractive addition to the team. He could instantly become a long-time starter for the Browns if he can adapt to the pro game.

PFF gives him solid marks all around, with an 82.1 pass rush grade, a 72.2 run defense grade, and a 77.3 overall grade for 2022.