Grading the Cleveland Browns 2023 NFL Draft picks
By Chad Porto
How did the Cleveland Browns do with the 2023 NFL Draft?
The Cleveland Browns came into the 2023 NFL Draft with a host of holes to fill. They needed help at defensive line, help to chase after the quarterback, help in the secondary, and some depth on the offensive wouldn’t hurt. But ultimatley, in that order.
Cleveland needed to fill all of those holes without a first or second-round pick, something that is pretty familiar to the team, as they lacked those two picks last year as well. They did land Martin Emerson in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, so it’s very possible that the Browns could once again land a starter in the 2023 NFL Draft.
That was the hope, anyway. The team did a fine job getting some players for the squad but most of this draft seems to be about 2024 and 2025, as most players are project picks who aren’t intended or expected to compete for spots and impact the team in any meaningful way in 2023.
That may work in theory, but the team lacks significant impact players, to begin with, so drafting for a future where guys like Amari Cooper, Ethan Pocic, and Greg Newsome aren’t here isn’t really a great idea.
The team needed help this year, and instead, Browns GM Andrew Berry decided to be a baseball general manager and select players with upside and potential, who may produce in time. Overall, I didn’t like the draft as much as I could’ve and the team didn’t get anyone that I would be overly excited about.