Cleveland Browns can take several approaches in first round of NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns are expected to take an offensive tackle with their first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but the class will give them some freedom.

Andrew Berry is leading his first offseason as the Cleveland Browns general manager, and it is widely assumed his No. 1 priority will be to improve the offensive line. Whether it be through free agency or in the draft, the Browns are expected to have new starters at both left tackle and right tackle.

With intriguing options in free agency at tackle, such as Jack Conklin and Bryan Bulaga, Berry and the Browns could decide to use some of their cap space to improve their offensive line. However, the offensive tackle market received a big jolt when D.J. Humphries signed an extension that will cause the contract demands of a player like Conklin to go up.

No matter if the Browns sign an offensive tackle or not in free agency, they are still expected to target an offensive tackle with their first round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, No. 10 overall. They will also have several options with the selection.

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The offensive tackle class is considered a top-heavy group and interested teams should select an offensive tackle early. At the end of the season initially, there were three tackles who were clearly at the top of the class: Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills, and Tristan Wirfs. All three were viewed as top-10 picks and were expected to be in Cleveland’s range.

However, since the end of the season and more work has been done on the offensive tackle group, things have slightly changed. Thomas was long considered the top tackle, but there have been questions about his build and his ability to move. Although he played last season at left tackle for Georgia, some scouts are viewing him as a right tackle.

With Thomas’ stock sliding a bit, Wills’ stock has continued to climb. Wills has solid technique and great athleticism, which is what team’s desire from college offensive linemen. Although it is still early in the draft process, there is the potential Wills could be a top-five pick, with a lot of eyes on the Giants at No. 4.

Those are not the only three tackles who have seen their stock change since the end of the season. After the Senior Bowl, Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones saw his stock climb into the first round.

There has also been the rapid rise of Mekhi Becton, who is still raw as a prospect but has shown glimpses of being a dominant linemen and is a massive player at 6-foot-7 and 364 pounds. Despite his size, Becton moves exceptionally well.

The Combine could also help USC tackle Austin Jackson’s stock to rise, as he is expected to test well during the on-field workouts. Similar to Becton, he moves extremely well but is still a raw prospect who would need some development.

What this means for the Browns is that an offensive tackle class that was considered thin at the top is now building a big group of potential first round picks. This allows the Browns to take different approaches to the first round if they want to draft an offensive tackle.

With multiple offensive tackles standing out, they could hold at No. 10 and see which offensive tackles are available with the selection. There is expected to be a run on quarterbacks early, and with several defensive play-makers at the top of the draft, there is a chance the Browns will have their choice of a tackle at No. 10.

However, one consideration for the Browns is that the new front office may want to recoup some draft picks that were moved under John Dorsey. Cleveland is viewed as one of the more likely teams to trade down in the draft and rebuild some of their draft capital. Under Paul DePodesta’s guidance, the Browns may want to gather more draft picks to add younger, cheaper players to fill out their roster.

With several offensive tackles building themselves up to being first round selections, the Browns could trade down a few spots, add to their draft capital, and still put themselves in range to select one of the top tackles. If they do not have a bona fide, No. 1 tackle on their draft board they feel they need to add, this is an approach that could prove beneficial in multiple ways.

The only risk of doing this is potentially moving too far down the board. If teams agree that this is a top-heavy draft class at offensive tackle, there could be a quick run on tackles early in the draft. If the Browns trade down too far, then they could put themselves at risk of missing on an offensive tackle.

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As the draft process plays out, there are going to be several prospects moving up and down draft boards. With how much the offensive tackle class has changed already, it would not be surprising if there is a lot more movement before the draft in April. However, more offensive tackles establishing themselves as first round picks is giving the Browns the ability to take different approaches to the draft if they plan on using their first round pick on an offensive tackle.

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