Cleveland Browns reportedly felt 17th selection was a second round pick

The Cleveland Browns traded their 2019 first round pick in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, but there is a reason they felt so comfortable doing so.

When all of the pieces being traded for Odell Beckham Jr. were announced, the belief was that the Cleveland Browns got the better end of the deal.

They did not have to sacrifice their draft capital by giving up multiple first round selections for one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Typically when a bona fide No. 1 receiver is traded, a team has to deplete their assets to make the move.

For the Browns, they did not have to do so. They traded the 17th overall selection and one of their two third-round selections in the 2019 NFL Draft. They also had to give up developing safety Jabrill Peppers.

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It was a great value trade for the Browns because they still have enough draft assets to make moves in the upcoming draft. And compared to other draft classes, the first round talent in the upcoming draft is rather weak.

The lack of first round draft prospects is reportedly why the Browns felt comfortable moving the 17th overall selection. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein joined the ‘Move the Sticks’ podcast and said the Browns considered the 17th overall pick a second round selection.

"“I had heard that the Browns considered there to be 15 players that are first round players in this year’s draft. That sounds about right. About 15 guys who are first round picks. Analytics is always about quantifying value so, for them, that 17th pick, they considered that a second round player generally speaking.” – Lance Zierlein"

For the most part, the Browns addressed some of their biggest needs during free agency. They added another edge rusher as well as finding a stout defensive tackle who holds up well against the run but can also create pressure up the middle.

If the Browns felt they were not going to get draft a player with first round talent at 17, it makes the Beckham trade even better for them. Although they moved a couple of draft assets, teams competing for the playoffs generally are not trying to add 8-10 rookies to their roster, especially players who are “over-drafted.”

Browns general manager John Dorsey has built the roster to compete for the playoffs in 2019. And since most of their holes are filled, whoever they would have selected at 17 likely would not have been playing a lot of snaps in 2019.

Even if the Giants feel the same way as the Browns and do not think there is much first round talent in this class, they need as many high draft picks as they can get. As they begin their rebuild, they need to add young talent all over their roster.

Cleveland still has eight selections in the 2019 NFL Draft, with their first pick being the 49th overall selection. They also have three fifth round picks, making it likely the Browns make some more trades to move those extra selections around.