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.
Browns prospect No. 2: Isaiah McGuire, EDGE, Missouri
If the Browns wanted to bolster their defensive line, they could have done so without taking a nose tackle. Yes, they needed one, but it's hard to say they couldn't find similar value in the fourth round as what they landed with Ika.
With that being said, they could have gone after a defensive end with Isaiah McGuire from Missouri standing out as one possibility. McGuire recorded eight sacks for the Tigers in 2022 after putting up six in the prior season.
McGuire boasts NFL size at 6-foot-4 and 268 pounds. He didn't blow anyone away with his 4.76 time in the 40-yard dash but he's never been known as a defender with great bend or burst off the edge. Instead, he wins with his power and the leverage he creates with his long arms.
Cleveland feels good about their starting defensive ends, which they should. Myles Garrett is going to continue to dominate and Ogbo Okoronkwo is an ascending talent. Behind them, there are some questions.
Alex Wright flashed as a rookie but has a way to go before proving he can be the primary reserve. The same can be said of Isaiah Thomas. Adding someone such as McGuire would have given them one more player to throw into the mix and too many pass-rushers is never a problem.
Browns prospect No. 1: Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas
Cleveland will likely draft a running back on Saturday since they need to replace Kareem Hunt and this class is pretty stout. They do have Jerome Ford, a fifth-round pick from 2022, but with just eight runs under his belt, competition should be added.
One player who could really push Ford and possibly take over as the No. 2 running back behind Nick Chubb is Roscohn Johnson.
A 220-pound bruiser, Johnson is used to sharing the load — he was behind Bijan Robinson with the Longhorns — Johnson is a patient runner who can explode into the hole even without elite speed, which was pointed out by Brentley Weissman of The Draft Network.
"Johnson is a tall running back with outstanding size and excellent overall athleticism. Johnson is a patient runner who displays outstanding vision and instincts. He presses the line of scrimmage while staying square and waits for the play to develop then he has the short-area burst to explode through the hole or the lateral agility to slide across the line of scrimmage to an open gap. Once through the hole, Johnson runs with toughness and physicality and breaks arm tackles with regularity. "Brentley Weissman, The Draft Network
Cleveland is focusing much more on the pass, evidenced by the Cedric Tillman selection, but adding a power back that can help milk the clock when they build a lead wouldn't be a bad move at all.