Cleveland Browns: Top 5 mid-round picks to target in 2018 NFL Draft

Royce Freeman is an interesting case. In very early mock drafts, there were calls for him to go in the first round. Those calls have died down, though, and now many see him as a second-, third- or even a fourth-round pick.

Despite where many analysts mock him to, Freeman is a solid runner. Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 230 pounds, Freeman’s game is based largely off of his power, but he also has some shiftiness to his moves, which has led to some impressive numbers.

During his final college season, Freeman rushed for 1,475 yards and 14 touchdowns (averaging 6 yards per carry). However, he only gathered 14 receptions on the entire year, which is a bit disappointing.

Needless to say, the passing game is not a huge area of expertise for Freeman. He still runs at a respectable clip, though, which has kept him in the second round for some mock drafters.

For his entire career, Freeman rushed for 4,676 yards. With Isaiah Crowell’s contract situation looming, the Browns might be OK with letting Crowell leave in free agency if they know Freeman will be there come draft weekend.

Besides, for all his catching woes, the Browns still have Duke Johnson if they want a receiver out of the backfield. If offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s work with Le’Veon Bell with the Pittsburgh Steelers is any indication, Johnson should be getting much more use as a receiver in 2018.

Freeman could be a solid choice for an open Browns running back spot in 2018. With his solid rushing numbers, it might be best for head coach Hue Jackson and Haley to let Freeman run free.