3 Browns Draft Picks Who Are Officially Busts Following 2023 Season
As the Cleveland Browns navigate through the offseason, some fans are already looking ahead to the 2024 NFL Draft. Although the Browns don't have this year's first-rounder due to the Deshaun Watson trade, they still hold seven draft picks to help replenish the cupboards ahead of making a potential Super Bowl run next season.
Projecting who Cleveland drafts in April is fun and all, but so is looking back at past draft classes. After all, it often takes a few years to decide whether certain draft picks should be labeled a bust or a success.
When it comes to the former, here are three Browns draft picks who are officially busts following the 2023 campaign.
1. TE Harrison Bryant — 2020 Round 4, Pick 115
Following the 2020 draft, Browns fans had high hopes for Harrison Bryant. The Macon, GA native was coming off a career year with the Florida Atlantic Owls that saw him set new personal bests in receptions (65), receiving yards (1,004), and touchdowns en route to winning the John Mackey Award as college football's best tight end.
While he's had his moments here and there, Bryant hasn't met expectations whatsoever. The 25-year-old pass-catcher has yet to hit the 300-yard mark in an NFL season, registering 89 receptions for 791 yards and 10 TDs through 65 games. His 2023 performance was a new low as he finished with an abysmal 13-81-3 stat line while playing a career-low 33% of offensive snaps.
Bryant is consistently overshadowed by fellow TE David Njoku, which wasn't that much of a problem in the past due to the ex-FAU product's blowing success. While he was decent as a pass-blocker last season, he struggled in the rushing department, finishing with a 49.7 run-block grade on Pro Football Focus — 57th out of 76 eligible TEs.
At the end of the day, it's hard to believe that Bryant will develop into a legitimate receiving threat. He's scheduled to hit free agency in March and I'd be surprised if the Browns re-sign him after the last four seasons.