3 Players the Cleveland Browns are watching in Indy

The Cleveland Browns are watching these three players in Indianapolis this week as the NFL Combine is underway.

The Cleveland Browns and General Manger Andrew Berry are in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine. This is a great chance for the Browns to get a look at some top prospects on their board up close and personal.

Even though Berry estimated that the combine only accounts for about five percent of a prospect's overall grade, it's still essential to ensure everyone is healthy and get to know a player a bit better in the interviews.

Here are three players the the Browns will have their eye on as things move along in Indy this week.

Brandon Joeseph is an interesting prospect for the Browns to consider. He should be a mid-round pick but has considerable upside potential as he was a standout player while at Northwestern in the Big Ten. He transferred to Notre Dame but didn't have the same impact that he had while wearing the Wildcats colors.

Joseph comes in ranked as the ninth-best safety prospect according to PFF. Joseph's best attributes are his sure tackling abilities and his brain. He rarely gets caught out of position, which is a must for the backend of an NFL defense, and definitely something the Browns need.

With Cleveland recently cutting John Johnson III, the need for the Browns to walk away from the draft with a safety is probably imperative. I'm sure that Berry and his staff are doing a lot of due diligence on a bunch of safeties at the combine but i think Brandon Joseph just fits what this front office is looking for.

No. 2: Moro Ojomo, DT, Texas

Moro Ojomo is a very interesting defensive tackle from Texas. Projected as a Day 2 pick, Ojomo can really help his stock at the combine with a solid performance. He's listed at only 280 pounds so I'm sure that the Browns would like to see some added weight, but he plays with a lot of strength on film.

Last season he was a very disruptive player for the Longhorns. Not only was he stout against the run but he showed some good pass-rushing ability from the interior with three sacks on the season. It was on third downs though where Ojomo really shined with a pressure rate of 17.2% and a pass rush win rate of 24.1%. Those are very solid numbers from a defensive tackle.

The big question on Ojomo and possibly something Berry can learn from the combine is why he ranked fourth on his team in total snaps. Is stamina a concern for him or did the Longhorns just like rotating players to keep Ojomo fresh?

It's a worthy question to ask and one that Berry and his staff must figure out this week.

No. 1: Parker Washington, WR, Penn State

Parker Washington is a player the Browns are definitely getting a closer look at in Indy. The 5-10 , 210 pound receiver from Sugar Land, Texas is a true playmaker in every sense of the word. He single-handedly kept the Nittany Lions in the game against Ohio State back in October with 11 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown.

He finished the 2022 campaighn with 46 receptions for 611 yards and two touchdowns. But the number don't tell the true tale as Penn State was in-between two quarterbacks and eventually were breaking in a true freshman at the position.

Washington is an extremely physical receiver, having broken 31 tackles over the past two seasons for Penn State and routinely out-muscles defenders for 50-50 balls. Projected to get drafted on Day 2, he might be exactly what the Browns are looking for when it comes time to make their first selection in the draft.

But his hands might be his best trait that nobody talks about. He makes tough catches in traffic and has great adjustment skills for when the ball isn't placed right on him. He reminds me a lot of a former Penn State receiver named Chris Godwin, who is a very physical and sure-handed wideout.

Look for Washington to get a lot of buzz heading into the draft, and maybe its Cleveland that winds up drafting him.