3 players the Cleveland Browns could have taken instead of Siaki Ika
By Randy Gurzi
We waited and waited for the Cleveland Browns to make their picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and with their first two selections in the book, it feels a bit underwhelming. First, they took Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman, who is a great talent but has just one year of production in five seasons with the Vols. Then, they went with Baylor nose tackle Siaki Ika, who is a big body‚ but that's about it.
Ika put up some ugly numbers when it came to testing, which makes him a surprise pick considering the Browns tendency to lean on athleticism.
Siaki Ika was drafted with pick 98 of round 3 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 2.75 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1176 out of 1620 DT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/uoqmF3yyU5 pic.twitter.com/V1aYu7zBpO
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023
Had they elected not to bring him in, here are three prospects they could have taken instead.
Browns prospect No. 3: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
We know that the Browns are leaning toward picking up Jedrick Wills fifth-year option. It's the right move but they might not be sold on him long-term. On top of that, Wills and Jack Conklin have each struggled with injuries in recent years, so adding depth — and someone to challenge Wills in the future — would be a smart move.
At pick No. 98, they had a shot to land a player who could do exaclty that in Dawand Jones from Ohio State. Jones was one of the players Cleveland met with before the draft, so there was surely some interest from the team.
Jones, who is a montain at 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds, spent his career at right tackle. He would need to get some work on the left side to be a solid swing tackle but has the talent to do so.