Browns final pick falls flat: Instant grade on Jowon Briggs at No. 243

The Browns ended up with two picks in Round 7, adding South Dakota cornerback Myles Harden at No. 227 overall. Now, they finalize their draft with their second pick in the last round. This time, their choice is Jowon Briggs, a defensive tackle from Cincinnati.

Browns NFL Draft grade for Jowon Briggs selection: D

Cleveland added Michael Hall, Jr. in the second round, which already made the DT room feel crowded. Adding Briggs feels like overkill, especially since he's in the same mold as Hall, Maurice Hurst, and Shelby Harris.

He was considered a potential undrafted free agent by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who said he didn't have a perfect scheme fit and has "short arms."

Briggs does have some upside and was a team-captain with multiple years of starting experience. He knows how to red blockers, due in large part to his experience, and is rather quick for a 297-pounder. His production wasn't bad either and he stood out during the Big 12 Pro Day, which is a plus.

Still, it feels like a throwaway pick since he has quite the uphill climb to make the roster. Cleveland seemed to do well on nearly every other pick, so this isn't a major issue in the long run but it was easily their most confusing move this weekend.

Browns previous picks

Round 2, Pick 54: Michael Hall, Jr., DT, Ohio State
Round 3, Pick 85: Zak Zinter, OG, Michigan
Round 5, Pick No. 156: Jamari Thrash, WR, Louisville
Round 6, Pick 206: Nathaniel Watson, LB, Mississippi State

Up next

Once the draft officially ends, the Browns and every other team will turn their attention to undrafted free agency. They landed a couple of Ohio State defensive backs last year, including Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McCalister. They even brought in Florida linebacker Mohamoud Diabate who made the 53-man roster as well.

More Browns coverage