Cleveland Browns select running back Matthew Dayes at No. 252

The Cleveland Browns closed out their portion of the 2017 NFL Draft by selecting North Carolina State running back Matthew Dayes.

The Cleveland Browns closed out an incredibly busy, exciting and, at times, controversial 2017 NFL Draft by selecting Matthew Dayes, a running back from North Carolina State, with pick No. 252 in the seventh round.

Dayes played four years for the Wolfpack, finishing with 34 career rushing touchdowns and 5.2 yards per carry. During his senior year in 2016, he rushed for 1,166 yards and 10 touchdowns.

According to his draft profile at NFL.com, Dayes is a:

"Tempo-based, one-cut running back with good vision but an inability to break tackles and run with power. Best on outside zone plays with an opportunity to find back-side cuts, but when he has to run between the tackles, he’s missing an aggressive burst. Potentially a committee running back with some third-down value if he can tighten up his pass blocking."

The best role for the 5-foot-9 and 205-pound Dayes may be as a third-down back in the passing game, but as that role is already sufficiently filled by Duke Johnson, who combined with Isaiah Crowell to help the Browns hit a 50-year high in rushing average in 2016, it could be hard for Dayes to find many opportunities to impresses the coaches.

All told, the Browns selected 10 players:

• First round: Myles Garrett, defensive end, Texas A&M; Jabrill Peppers, safety, Michigan; and David Njoku, tight end, Miami
• Second round: DeShone Kizer, quarterback, Notre Dame:
• Third round: Larry Ogunjobi, defensive tackle, North Carolina Charlotte:
• Fourth round: Howard Wilson, cornerback, Houston
• Fifth round: Roderick Johnson, offensive tackle, Florida State
• Sixth round: Caleb Brantley, defensive tackle, Florida
• Seventh round: Zane Gonzalez, kicker, Arizona State; Matthew Dayes, running back, North Carolina State.

In addition, the Browns picked up the Houston Texans first-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, which paired with their previous take leaves the Browns with two first-round picks and three second-round picks in next year’s draft.

Next: Browns select kicker Zane Gonzalez

There is still a lot of work to do, but after this weekend the Browns are that much closer to the end of the beginning of their latest rebuilding efforts.