Cleveland Browns: Grades for second and third round picks
By Randy Gurzi
No. 67: Chad Thomas, DE, Miami
With their third-round pick — which was acquired in the aforementioned trade with the Colts — the Browns added some depth to their defensive line. The selection was Miami defensive end Chad Thomas. That selection was met with almost as much concern as the Corbett move, but Thomas isn’t a bad pick. They just could have done better.
A smarter play if they wanted to add an edge defender would have been to go with Harold Landry at No. 33. They then could have selected a different offensive lineman at 67 like Geron Christian out of Louisville or Joseph Noteboom from TCU. Both those players would have been better fits even considering they were tackles.
Another option could have been to add defensive tackle help as a player who could have filled a bigger need was sitting there in Harrison Phillips out of Stanford — who unexpectedly fell to the Bills at No. 96.
In the end, the Browns went for Thomas, who was an effective player for the Hurricanes. The 6-foot-5, 281-pound Thomas has more than enough size and could find his way to the field as an interior rusher in the nickel defense. Still, they had a shot to get a starter at another position here or made a more impactful pick at this spot earlier in Landry.
Next: Browns day two instant reactions
Not a bad player, but just a weird pick.