Browns interest in Michael Pratt could be due to injury concerns at QB

The Cleveland Browns enter the 2024 NFL Draft without many needs on their roster. That's good since they don't have a pick in Round 1, and have just five selections overall.

As the draft approaches, they've shown they're paying attention to areas that need to be addressed such as the offensive line — with BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia stopping by as a top-30 visit. They've also looked at players who would be joining a crowded room.

Cleveland has kicked the tires on wide receivers Malachi Corley and Troy Franklin as well as running back Trey Benson. Those positions are crowded but not as much as the Browns quarterback room is, which is why it's interesting to note they've now used two of their 30 visits on signal-callers.

First, it was Joe Milton from Tennessee who they were meeting with. Now, it's Tulane's Michael Pratt who met with them on Friday according to Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report.

Cleveland already signed Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley this offseason. It raised eyebrows that they added two QBs despite having Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the roster. Now, they continue to look at potential rookies to add, leading to even more speculation about Watson and his status with the team. However, it's not likely about him.

Could Dorian Thompson-Robinson be out longer than expected?

Watson isn't going anywhere, even with former NFL executives saying he should be traded. The Browns believe in him and he's been progressing well in his recovery from shoulder surgery. Having said that, we haven't heard much about Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

The fifth-round pick led the Browns to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers before being replaced by Joe Flacco. He was still being utilized off the bench after that but was sent to the IR with a hip injury. He didn't need surgery, which led to a belief he would be fine, but perhaps these visits indicate that might not be the case.

We won't know how healthy DTR is for sure until camp but it feels like these players would be competition for him well before they would be competition for Watson.

More Browns coverage