The Browns lost two starting linebackers this offseason as they released Christian Kirksey and weren’t willing to give Joe Schobert the type of contract he was seeking in free agency. With those two out, Cleveland will be turning to second-year players Mack Wilson and Sione Takitaki as well as veteran free-agent addition B.J. Goodson.
While they do have faith in these players, they need to add competition and depth. With that being the case, they use their first of two picks in the third round on Oregon’s Troy Dye. While playing for the Ducks, Dye was able to fly all over the field and had a nose for finding the ball.
He didn’t take on offensive linemen a lot and can thrive in a defense with a solid line, and the Browns have that with Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson, Andrew Billings, and Larry Ogunjobi. Should they be able to free Dye up, he could become a big-time playmaker.
Cleveland has two great wide receiving options on the roster but behind Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry there are a lot of question marks. With only KhaDarel Hodge and Damion Ratley on the roster, it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see the Browns add another wideout before Friday night is over and they do that here with Tyler Johnson from Minnesota.
Johnson would give Baker Mayfield a target with more height than Landry and OBJ as he comes in at 6-foot-1 and 206-pounds. He also excels at catching contested passes and is fresh off his second-straight season with more than 1,000-yards receiving for the Gophers.
In all, he had 213 catches for 3,305 yards and 33 touchdowns. In any other draft, he’s gone long before Pick No. 97 but with the talent this class has, Cleveland lucks out and gets great value.