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Grading the 2017 Cleveland Browns Draft Class

By Frank Teriaca

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 16: Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates with teammate Christian Kirksey #58 after Garrett sacked Luke Falk of the New York Jets in the third quarter at MetLife Stadium on September 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 16: Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates with teammate Christian Kirksey #58 after Garrett sacked Luke Falk of the New York Jets in the third quarter at MetLife Stadium on September 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Zane Gonzalez Cleveland Browns
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 22: Zane Gonzalez #5 of the Cleveland Browns kicks a field goal in the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Three years removed from the 2017 NFL Draft, it is officially time to put a letter grade on the Cleveland Browns draft class.

Former Cleveland Browns general manager Sashi Brown made 10 draft picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, including three first-round picks. Brown was not able to see his hard work come to fruition as he was canned during the dreadful 2017 campaign and replaced with John Dorsey.

The old saying goes, ‘grade a draft class after three seasons.’ Well, its time to put a letter grade on this draft class for the Browns.

Let’s start with the seventh round selections and move our way up.

RB. North Carolina State. player. 53. Pick Analysis. MatthewDayes. 7. Scouting Report

Matthew Dayes did not have much of a career with the Browns. Appearing in all 16 games for the Browns in 2017, Dayes recorded 13 yards rushing on five carries. He did most of his damage on special teams as he had 18 kick returns for 437 yards, including a 71-yard return against the Vikings.

Dayes did not return in 2018 and signed the San Francisco 49ers and appeared in seven games that season for them.

Dayes grades out as a C-

The Browns got some solid special teams play for one season out of a seventh-round draft pick. We have seen a lot worse from much higher draft picks over the years.

Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. K. ZaneGonzalez. 7. 53. Arizona State. player

Drafting a kicker is a bit taboo in some NFL circles but not for Sashi Brown and company. Drafting the top-rated kicker in the draft, Zane Gonzalez had a rough career wearing the brown and orange. With only a 68 percent field goal percentage as a member of the Browns. Brown was quickly replaced after only 18 games with the club.

Gonzalez did, however, go on the Arizona Cardinals and seems to be solidifying the kicking position for them. Last season he was 31 of 35 on field-goal attempts for the Cardinals.

Gonzalez grades out to be a B- 

He gets this designation due to his awful tenure with the Browns but in retrospect, he was probably released too soon for being such a young player. And now Arizona gets to reap the rewards. If he was kicking at an 88% clip for Cleveland the draft pick would have been an A.

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