3 Big winners after the Browns 2023 NFL Draft

Browns winner No. 1: Jerome Ford, RB

When Kareem Hunt's contract came to an end, it was quickly stated that the Browns had no intention of bringing him back in 2023. Not only did they believe he lost a step but they also felt as though second-year pro Jerome Ford was ready for a larger role.

The only problem was, Ford had just eight carries to his name as a rookie and the draft class was pretty strong at running back as well. This made it seem as though there was a chance Cleveland would bring in another back — either for competition with Ford or simply as a depth piece.

Once the weekend was over, Ford found himself without any real competition, although that nearly wasn't the case. The Browns might not have pulled the trigger on any running backs in the draft but they reportedly did dip their toes in the trade market.

After the Detroit Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 1, D'Andre Swift became available. Reports say Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry made a call but nothing came to fruition. Swift then landed with the Philadelphia Eagles for essentially a fourth-round pick.

Swift, a former second-round pick from Georgia, has had injury concerns throughout his young career but is a dynamic weapon out of the backfield. Adding him could have really been a blow to Ford, since it would have been hard to beat him out for the No. 2 job.

As it stands now, the job is his unless an unforeseen move happens.