The Cleveland Browns are all too familiar with draft busts. Since being reincarnated in 1999, the franchise has made Tim Couch, Courtney Brown and Johnny Manziel infamous names. There are even players the Browns didn’t take such as Travis Hunter that have fans feeling uneasy when they think about the draft.
With that in mind, you’ll have to excuse Browns fans if talking about failed draft picks is a sensitive subject. But it’s something that has played out through the latest chapter in franchise history. Coming off a 3-14 season, there aren’t a lot of picks that have worked out and they may be ready to throw in the towel on another when the team comes out of rookie minicamp.
Browns Could Cut Draft Bust Myles Harden
Looking around the Browns roster, it’s hard to envision many of their young players getting released. While that may say something about the lack of talent on the roster, it also puts several on thin ice including Myles Harden.
Harden was a standout at South Dakota, posting a Pro Football Focus grade over 70 in three of his four seasons. His final season with the Coyotes was his best, as he posted a 75.8 overall grade and allowed 30 catches for 349 yards with an interception and six pass breakups. That led him to be selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 23-year-old made the Browns' active roster to begin the year, though a shin injury forced him to injured reserve in September.
Harden didn’t return until the final month of the season, and his extended opportunity in a Week 15 loss to the Chiefs wasn’t promising. Patrick Mahomes targeted him seven times, completing five passes for 43 yards.
Harden played two snaps against the Cincinnati Bengals the following week, but one of those was a 15-yard reception and the USD product played just five total snaps over Cleveland’s final two games.
It may not seem fair to put a player on the roster bubble after four games, yet seventh-round picks have a shorter leash than most. Harden profiles as a nickel cornerback on the team’s depth chart but faces competition with 2023 fifth-round pick Cameron Mitchell, who has carved out a niche with a 61.0 grade on 138 special teams snaps last season.
That’s why on a roster that has plenty of opportunities, Harden can’t seem to find one and it could lead him to search for a new job by the time the rookie minicamp concludes.