Even with Jim Schwartz no longer in the picture, the Cleveland Browns should have a solid defense next season. They have the best defensive player in the world in Myles Garrett, a fellow star in the secondary in Denzel Ward, and promising young studs like Carson Schwesinger and Mason Graham.
The offense, on the other hand, is a different story. Hiring Todd Monken as head coach is a strong first step to fix that, but it's not enough. They don't have the personnel they need to take a leap, and the NFL Draft will give them their best shot at solving that.
Nevertheless, they may have chosen the worst year to take offensive players high in the draft. As shown by NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler in his latest column for The Athletic, only four of the top 10 players in this class play offense, and only two might be available by the time Cleveland is on the clock.
The Browns' approach to the NFL Draft could make or break this team
The Browns will be on the clock with the No. 6 pick. That could technically put them in a position to land Spencer Fano or Francis Mauigoa to address their offensive line issues. They could also land Ohio State star WR Carnell Tate. All of that would make sense.
That said, that doesn't mean they're the best players available. That would probably be Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who'd probably go No. 1 or No. 2 overall if he played a different, "more valuable" position.
Downs has the potential to be a generational player at a quote-unquote less impactful spot. Most teams would benefit from an athletic, hard-hitting freak like him, including the Browns. But taking him won't address any of their primary concerns.
They could also get another potentially elite pass rusher like Reuben Bain Jr. Pairing him with Garrett and Graham would be a mouth-watering thought for most defensive coordinators, but it's not like the Browns' elite front seven has led to many wins.
This class isn't that deep, and the talent gap between the first 10 picks and the rest is quite notorious. Unfortunately, the Browns may not be in a position to take a "best player available" approach.
Unless they get a big haul to trade down from No. 6 and can still address some of their concerns, they will probably have to reach for someone and settle with him because of positional needs.
Even if that means letting a potential superstar slip.