Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry had his work cut out for him this offseason, especially on the offensive end. Although they switched from Jim Schwartz to Mike Rutenberg as defensive coordinator, the core of that unit is returning.
It was the offensive end that needed reinforcements, and Berry knocked it out of the park in the NFL Draft. The Browns received plenty of praise from draft experts and analysts for what they did back in April, and the latest recognition continued to show that Berry accomplished the mission.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell released an article discussing the best and worst moves from every AFC team. He called out Cleveland's work in the draft as their top move of the offseason.
"Checking off a lot of the offensive infrastructure boxes at the draft. We'll see how these players actually pan out on an NFL field, but general manager Andrew Berry can feel good about landing a number of key guys over the first few rounds of the draft. Though the Browns rebuilt most of their offensive line during the offseason, Berry's draft goals had to include landing a potential left tackle of the future and some help at wide receiver for whomever ends up playing quarterback in Cleveland."
When you look at the additions Cleveland made on offense, you can see why there's a ton of optimism.
Browns draft continues to get love from national media
The Browns revamped their offensive line by trading for Tytus Howard before signing Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins. They continued pushing the envelope and nabbed Spencer Fano with the ninth overall pick.
Fano is believed to be a Day 1 starter upfront. He has great feet and has fluid movements for a man his size. He can do multiple things as a run blocker and looks comfortable in pass protection. Fano also has the ability to play both tackle spots. The Utah native was durable, playing in 37 straight games in college.
While he hammers out a role on the offensive line, the Browns added two receivers to bolster a unit that needed juice. And the two players complement each other very well. With the 24th pick, the Browns took KC Concepcion. He's an agile athlete with different release packages to beat corners off the line. He can win at all three levels and can make defenders miss in the open field.
Concepcion does need to work on building more reliable hands, but he can be Cleveland's starting slot receiver in Week 1. Last season at Texas A&M, he tallied 61 catches for 919 yards (15.1 yards per reception), and nine touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Denzel Boston gives this team a big-bodied receiver with a large catch radius. He may not have high-end speed, but he makes up for it with strong hands and a 6-foot-3 frame. Boston is highly skilled in jump-ball situations and brings toughness as a run blocker on the outside. Over the past two seasons at Washington, he had 125 catches for 1,715 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
There's no question that these three additions massively improved Cleveland's offense and made it a better unit. The Browns also drafted offensive tackle Austin Barber and center Parker Brailsford on Day 3, giving them quality young depth.
Although the quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson remains up in the air, Berry made sure he added talent all over the offense. This article from ESPN is the latest example of how they passed the test.
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