These five players should be considered by the Cleveland Browns to draft after the team has been busy with some releases and trades this week.
If you’re a Cleveland Browns fan, you’ve likely been checking your updates on social media platforms like Twitter every 15 minutes or you’re waiting for your ESPN notifications to ding so you don’t miss anything this past week.
Probably as you read this there will be another shift in the news cycle. The biggest potential move by the Browns still revolves around what they are going to do moving forward with their quarterback position.
As I write this the organizational powerhouses of the team, like general manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski are down in Houston, Texas trying to convince Deshaun Watson, the Texans quarterback to come to Cleveland to be their new signal-caller.
By the time this is published to read, that part of the story might look very different. So, stay tuned. The team did make a couple more bold moves though in the last day or two that are important to point out as they could be a factor in what they decide to do in the draft, which is a month away.
It began with the team releasing their wide receiver Jarvis Landry. The team is saving well over $14 million in cap space. The Browns did make a trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper this past weekend so the cutting of Landry was expected.
Then the following day the team traded linebacker, Mack Wilson, to the New England Patriots for linebacker and edge rusher Chase Winovich. Neither player had shown a lot of overwhelming promise in their first few years of play so this gives each player a reset.
That same day Cleveland announced that they had released JC Tretter, their offensive lineman, and center. The Browns will be saving another $8 million in cap space with this move. The Browns free-agent cornerback and emergency safety MJ Stewart announced he’d signed to play with the Texans. This move was a good one for Stewart but many fans of the Browns were hoping to keep him in town.
Cleveland also has safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. on the free-agent market, so the need to shore up the secondary again for the Browns will be vital.
With all of these cuts, trades, and free agency updates, let’s look again at the NFL draft and discuss what players the team should consider taking especially in the early rounds. Here are five players that the Browns should consider. Early in the draft they currently hold the 13th pick overall, along with the 44th pick and, then two more picks in the third round. So, depending on how the organization grades their needs at various positions on the team, they could look to move up or move back and one of these players could be worth the taking.
Cleveland Browns key player No. 1 to draft: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Even though the Browns traded for Amari Cooper, using either the 13th pick or moving up further to grab this elite player would do wonders for their passing game regardless of who’s throwing the ball. Garrett Wilson has world-class speed and can go up and grab catches in traffic. But his route running and ability to separate from his defenders are top-notch.
Having Cooper on one side of the offense and Wilson on the other would cause massive headaches for the defense. The team has had real problems in the passing game because the offense too often couldn’t get plays to work over the top of the defense and thus open the game up a bit. That allowed defenses to zero in on the Browns run game and teams were able to shrink the field.
With Cooper locked in, the opportunity to draft another speedster like Wilson would be a touchdown for the team.
Cleveland Browns key player No. 2 to draft: Tyler Linderbaum, OL/C, Iowa
Tyler Linderbaum, the Iowa offensive lineman is projected by many to go high in the first round. With the departure of JC Tretter now and the offensive line still not a masterpiece, and after a year where players on the line like Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills struggled to stay healthy, taking a young and talented player like Linderbaum would be a good move by the team.
Again, the Browns might have to consider moving up to get him or he could be there at 13 and the squad could really solidify their line. He’s considered the best of the centers coming out of the draft because he’s shown excellent skills for the position including great footwork and balance. He likes to get his uniform dirty and plays with an edge.
Cleveland Browns key player No. 3 to draft: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
One of the Browns free agents this offseason is defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and there is speculation on whether or not the team will be able to bring him back. Therefore, Cleveland might consider drafting a top-tier defensive lineman and edge rusher.
There are several excellent players in this department including Aidan Hutchinson out of Michigan. He is projected to be drafted in the top two or three of the draft.
Another player, Kayvon Thibodeaux, out of Oregon will also be drafted very high according to many projections. Again Cleveland would have to consider moving up in the draft order to call Thibodeaux’s name. The potential upside is what many look at with drafting Thibodeaux as the 6’5 defensive end can be a game-changer for a team.
His stats in college weren’t extraordinary like others in the same position. He was sidelined with injuries as well so that limited his numbers a bit. He did record nine sacks when he was a freshman and had seven more this last season.
The potential with Thibodeaux is likely off the charts and lining him opposite Browns best defensive player Myles Garrett would only bolster his production.
Cleveland Browns key player No. 4 to draft: Kyle Hamilton, FS, Notre Dame
Kyle Hamilton has been listed in the top 10 of many mock draft boards for months. Yes, the Browns have a veteran safety in John Johnson III in the back of the defense but if the Browns want to get better on defense next season taking a talented young player like Hamilton could be a great move.
It’s difficult to project a safety in many mock drafts because typically they don’t come off the board so early, but Hamilton’s 6’4 frame and his ability to play from one sideline to the other is extraordinary.
Think of a Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu- Koromoah, also from Notre Dame, add a few inches of height and that’s what you might have with Hamilton lined up behind the linebackers. The Browns defense needs to continue to get quicker and Hamilton would fit the bill.
Cleveland Browns key player No. 5 to draft: Damone Clark, LB, LSU
The Browns linebacker room has been a part of the team that has lacked the best players on the team, in terms of speed and agility, and raw talent. Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah might have changed that image a bit this past season with his outstanding efforts.
The news of the Browns swapping linebackers when they sent Mack Wilson to New England for Chase Winovich was a good lateral move. Cleveland may also lose free-agent linebacker Anthony Walker on the open market.
So the need is still there to draft a linebacker. The Browns might be able to pick Damone Clark up out of LSU in a later round, but he’s considered a tackling machine and has been moving up draft boards quickly.
He stands at 6’3 and at the recent NFL Combine in Indianapolis, he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds. His vertical and broad jump were also in the top tier of linebacker performances. While playing at LSU he was dominating and tackling anything that moved. He recorded 135 tackles in his last season, including 15 for losses.
Clark had 10 sacks in his career. In three seasons as a starter in only 25 games, he had 249 tackles, a nice 10 tackles a game average.
He has a nose for the ball and the Browns need more of that with their linebacker crew.
We’ll just have to wait and see where many of these players land in the draft. The Browns will be making more moves as we speak. If Cleveland were to grab any of these gifted players in the draft it should be deemed a success.
The Browns aren’t done with their wheeling and dealing yet either in this offseason so stay close to your phones and wait for that latest notification that says, “The Cleveland Browns have just…”
The suspense has many of us pulling our hair out. Stay tuned!