NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Who are the Browns taking?

Football truly is a year-round event. Those of us who love the game and enjoy the roster-building aspect can stay plugged in even when the regular season is over. As fun as it can be to watch your favorite team take the field, it can be nearly as exciting to try and predict what they will do to shore up any roster holes. For the Cleveland Browns, they're fortunate in that they don't have too many holes heading into the 2024 season.

They will have to try and figure out who to retain on their defensive line and several linebackers are free agents as well. Still, the majority of the key positions are set. Having said that, there seems to be a consensus when it comes to what position they should target in the 2024 NFL Draft.

We've compiled five different mock drafts and in all five of them, the Browns first selection — which comes in Round 2 — happened to be a wide receiver. The two who were mocked to them more than once were Xavier Worthy from Texas and Brenden Rice out of USC. The third wideout was Xavier Leggette from South Carolina, who is a very intriguing prospect. Let's dive into each one of these mocks and see where each analyst went with their top two picks.

PFF, Trevor Sikkema

Round 2: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Round 3: Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State

Sikkema says Worthy is ideal for Cleveland's offense due to his "difference-making" speed. He would be the No. 2 option across from Amari Cooper but also wouldn't take snaps away from Elijah Moore as the slot wide receiver. Worthy is slight in frame at just 160 pounds but he's going to turn heads with his 40 time.

As for Braden Fiske, this is a very good selection for Cleveland. He could help fill a need at the 3-tech, especially if they can't retain Maurice Hurst or Shelby Harris. Fiske is also versatile enough to play on the edge in certain packages. More options for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is never a bad thing.

Draft Wire, Jeff Risdon

Round 2: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
Round 3: Javon Foster, OT, Missouri

Xavier Legette was a breakout star this year for the Gamecocks. He had just 423 yards throughout his first four years in Columbia but then as a redshirt senior, he exploded for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns on 71 receptions. He's someone who can make defenders miss in the open field and is even a dangerous return man with an average of 26.4 yards per kick return with one touchdown.

As it stands now, Legette is being projected to go in the second round. The one question will be whether or not he stays there. An athletic freak, Legette is going to test off the charts at the Scouting Combine which could lead to his draft stock sky rocketing.

Javon Foster is another interesting pick from Risdon. He admits this might be high but believes the Browns could be high on his traits. He even says he could be one of the more underrated prospects. Landing Foster won't spell the end for Jedrick Wills, but it will put him on notice.

This mock would be solid as they land not only a player who can step on the field and help now — who also has the potential to be a WR1 down the line — but it also gives them a developmental left tackle. Should they turn Foster into a starter with Dawand Jones on the right side, this line could be one of the best in the league for years to come.

Dawgs by Nature, Jared Mueller

Round 2: Brenden Rice, WR, USC
Round 3: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State

The son of NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice lands with the Browns in this mock draft from Jared Mueller. Rice started his career at Colorado but spent the past two seasons in Southern California. He took off with the Trojans and had 1,402 yards and 16 touchdowns in two years.

This past season, Rice proved to be a major threat both downfield and in the red zone. He finished with an average of 17.6 yards per reception and had 12 touchdowns. He's still developing as a player and working alongside Amari Cooper could help him become an even better pro.

As for Mueller's second pick, he decided to stick with offense and added running back Trey Benson from Florida State. Benson never recorded 1,000 yards in a single season but he was still a consistent force for the Seminoles. He had 1,896 yards and 23 touchdowns in his two years with them — following his transfer from Oregon.

For good measure, he averaged more than 11 yards per reception and returned five kickoffs in his career as well. He was limited in this role but still had 192 yards (for an average of 38.4 per return) with a touchdown. Adding him behind Nick Chubb could truly beef up their run game.

Browns Wire, Jacob Roach

Round 2: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

Round 3: McKinnley Jackson, DT, Texas A&M

Another selection of Xavier Worthy as Jacob Roach is a huge fan of his speed. Roach believes Worthy will clock in the 4.2s when he runs at the Combine which would pique the interest of Andrew Berry. The Cleveland GM has tried for a while to land game-changing speed but Anthony Schwartz and Marquise Goodwin never could consistently deliver. Worthy could finally be their guy.

From there, he goes with McKinnley Jackson from Texas A&M to beef up the defensive line. With Shelby Harris, Jordan Elliott, and Maurice Hurst all set for free agency, Jackson could wind up filling a massive hole. He's listed at 325 pounds and does a lot of the dirty work against the run.

Having him on the field would also allow them to move Dalvin Tomlinson to the 3-tech at times. Tomlinson, who is also a 325-pounder, can also stop the run but he's dangerous when freed up to rush the passer as well.

Dawg Pound Daily mock draft

Round 2: Brenden Rice, WR, USC
Round 3: Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame

Our own mock draft brought in Brenden Rice as well — due mainly to his mixture of size and speed plus his ability to find the end zone. As for the third-round pick, it's an entirely new position with Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau being selected.

Linebacker isn't always seen as the glamorous pick but with Anthony Walker, Sione Takitaki, and Jacob Phillips all pending free agents, it might be the right move. Liufau is solid in coverage but still not afraid to deliver the hard hits. Pairing him with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah — another Notre Dame product — could be a lot of fun.

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