Biggest surprises from the Cleveland Browns 2019 NFL Draft

Duke Johnson not traded

The expectation when the 2019 NFL Draft started was that Browns running back Duke Johnson would be traded during one of the three days. He has not showed up to the team’s voluntary workouts this offseason and has reportedly requested a trade, so moving him for a draft pick or two made sense. However, Johnson is still a member of the Browns and the situation remains murky.

Because the Browns have Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt – when he returns from his eight-game suspension – ahead of Johnson on the depth chart, there does not seem to be much of a role for the fifth-year player with the Browns in 2019.

If he remains on Cleveland’s roster, he will likely only be used as a change of pace back while Hunt is suspended. So getting a draft pick and a player who will play a bigger role in the future for the Browns would have been a good deal.

Dorsey has stated he will not trade Johnson for nothing and he would wait for a good deal before moving the running back. Apparently there was not an organization who offered a deal for Johnson that intrigued the Browns general manager.

The Browns may still move on from Johnson, and he has even been included in Gerald McCoy trade rumors, but the draft seemed like a prime time to move the running back. Even if the compensation was not what Dorsey wanted, it was surprising the organization decided to keep Johnson through the draft.