Another NFL Draft is in the books for the Browns, as they chose seven players from Rounds 3-6, including a pair of Ohio State Buckeyes. Overall, I thought it was a pretty solid draft, considering we didn’t have a first or second round pick. I’m not getting overly excited yet, but the Browns definitely did address many team needs, especially the run defense. There was only one pick I did not agree with. But overall, I think Andrew Berry and his crew did a solid job this weekend. Let’s break these picks down, and see what this means for the Browns, shall we?
Round 3, Pick #74: Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee
I initially wasn’t sure what to think of this pick, partly because I was so fixated on the Browns needing a linebacker. But once I looked at Tillman, and what he brings to the table for this team, a sly grin spread across my face. The Browns got a steal. Tillman was ranked as the 59th overall pick in this draft, so he fell to us at the right spot. But he’ll be a BIG target for Deshaun Watson to throw to, and he seems to fit perfectly in this offense.
He doesn’t only go deep for long bombs, he could also be a great red zone target too. Stefanski loves to run those sets with extra tight ends. Imagine being an opposing defensive coordinator. You’ll have to account for not only multiple tight ends, but now you have to try to shut down a big rookie wideout along with all the other established weapons the Browns have? Good luck. Pick your poison.
Tillman is indeed a big wideout, at 6’3, 215 pounds. But not only that, he’s incredibly athletic, and can do all sorts of things to come down with the football. Tillman can high point the football, he’s long enough to lay out for circus catches, and he can win 50/50 jump balls consistently. He’s got incredible awareness and great body control too!
But perhaps the thing that made me salivate the most? He’s a big, physical wideout who isn’t afraid to drag opposing cornerbacks along for the ride, or dish out punishment when necessary! It’s been a long time since Cleveland has had a big, imposing, physical wide receiver. The last one that comes to mind with that kind of physical build? Josh Gordon. Although hopefully Tillman is smarter and more dedicated than Gordon was during his time in Cleveland. If he is? Look out!
Round 3, Pick #98: Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
This was the first pick the Browns made in order to address the run defense, and Ika out of Baylor looks like he’ll be a LOAD to handle on the line, at 6’3, 335 pounds. He’s simply listed as a defensive tackle, but he’ll more than likely be a nose tackle. The Browns really struggled to stop opposing running games at the point of attack last year. I can’t tell you how many times they should have stonewalled the opponent right at the line of scrimmage…only for them to bust through for at least 3-4 yards on first down. Seeing that was infuriating.
Hopefully Ika puts an end to that if Browns Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz decides to play him at nose tackle. If he does, he’ll plug up running lanes in the middle of the line rather nicely. Not only could Ika stop the run for the Browns defense, he’s also big enough that he could collapse the pocket on opposing quarterbacks as well. He’ll draw double teams thanks to his size, which would open up opportunities for other defensive linemen to get home and either bring down the ballcarrier or sack the quarterback. I like this pick!
Round 4, Pick 111: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
The Browns went with homegrown offensive lineman Dawand Jones here, and just as Ika will be a load on the defensive side of the ball for opposing teams to deal with, Jones presents the same problem on the offensive side. At 6’8, 374 pounds he’s an absolute monster just based on sheer size alone! But not only is he a big guy, he’s also solid in both pass protection and run blocking. He may need to work on his technique as an offensive lineman when it comes to “mirroring” or staying with defensive linemen when using leverage. But Jones is so big that if he’s in the right position and takes the right blocking angle, most people would have a very tough time getting past him.
His nickname while he was at Ohio State was Big Thanos. If that’s the case, it’s “inevitable” that opposing defensive linemen will struggle with him. And even though he may not be able to snap his fingers and make them disappear, the occasional pancake block sounds perfectly fine to me instead!
Round 4, Pick 126: Isaiah McGuire, DE/Edge Rusher, Missouri
The Browns continued to build their run defense with this pick. McGuire is built similar to Myles Garrett, (6’4, 268 pounds vs. Garrett’s 6’4, 272 pounds) and is a powerful edge rusher who specializes in setting the edge to help stop the run, and he’s long and lanky enough to use his arms and wingspan to control opposing offensive linemen, and collapse the pocket around the quarterback.
Finding someone who isn’t just a pass rusher who can explode off the end, but who can also set the edge and help stop the opposing running game, is absolutely huge for Cleveland. They struggled mightily with trying to stop the run last season. And a big part of that was because they failed to set the edge. In non-football speak, it means they failed to force opposing running backs to run side to side, and instead let them run north to south far too often. When the edge is set by a defense, this helps corral an opponent’s running game, forces their running backs inside before they can turn the corner and do real damage, and it allows the defense to close in on them and finish the play before any major damage can be done. The Browns need to improve in this area of the game badly in 2023 if they want to truly be a solid team. And they may have found the guy who can do these things in Isaiah McGuire.
Round 5, Pick #140: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Quarterback, UCLA
This was the only pick of the Draft that had me scratching my head. I may not always agree with what the Browns front office does, but if I can see the logic behind the moves they make, even if I disagree with who they draft or sign, I can give them a pass. But this one still doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, especially considering other team needs. This pick seems too high for a backup quarterback, if it was necessary at all to draft one. The Browns could have signed a free agent quarterback and used this pick on another defensive player. Preferably a linebacker, in my opinion.
But now that we have him, Dorian Thompson-Robinson could be a useful insurance policy for if Deshaun Watson either gets hurt, or if he massively underperforms. As for the measurables, he’s undersized at 6’2 and 203 pounds. But he has surprising arm strength for an undersized quarterback, doesn’t make many mistakes, and can bait opposing defensive backs with his eyes. He can also lead his receivers really well if he’s given time to throw. Time will tell if he eventually has an important role on this team, especially if the Deshaun Watson experiment goes south.
Round 5, Pick 142: Cameron Mitchell, CB, Northwestern
A reunion of sorts is in order in Cleveland. Current Browns cornerback Greg Newsome, and Mitchell were college teammates at Northwestern when they were both Wildcats. But now the newest Browns defensive back is ready to pick up right where he left off. It was clear in his Draft call from Browns GM Andrew Berry, that Mitchell is ready to not only play alongside Newsome once again, but to also compete with him. Berry asked Mitchell if Newsome was a good cornerback.
“He’s alright.”
But when Berry asked Mitchell if he was a better cornerback than Newsome, his answer not only had the entire Browns front office cracking up, but it also probably inspired them and made them excited to get him to Cleveland!
“If you ask me that, I’ll give you the same answer every day of the week!”
As for if his game backs up his big talk? Mitchell is average height for a cornerback, at 5’11, but he’s fast enough to stick with most wideouts, excels in press coverage, and can recover well whenever he’s caught out of position. He can also be fast enough to diagnose plays and come up in run support if needed. The biggest knock on him so far though, is that bigger and stronger wide receivers could knock him off the line since he weighs 191 pounds. We’ll have to see how this one pans out, but so far I like this pick!
Round 6, Pick 190: Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State
The Browns made their final pick of the 2023 Draft by selecting another Buckeye in Luke Wypler. He stands 6’3 and weighs 303 pounds. He doesn’t have as long of a wingspan as some other linemen in the Draft, and he may not always have the strength to bullrush people. But for what Wypler lacks in size and sheer strength, he makes up for with sound fundamentals, good technique, and instinct.
He explodes out of his stance, and finds the right blocking angles the vast majority of the time. He also does a great job of mirroring, or matching the movements of opposing defensive linemen so he can stay with them while protecting the quarterback. And if he does get beat on a play, he has the awareness to recover quickly and fix his mistakes.
It’ll be interesting to see where Wypler fits in the grand scheme of things for right now. The Browns brought back Ethan Pocic, who I would tab as the current starter at center based on his surprisingly good breakout performance last year. But Nick Harris will also have his shot at potentially being the starter if he can stay healthy this time around. It would not surprise me though if Wypler eventually saw some action, especially if injuries hit Harris or Pocic in 2023. Overall though, I like this pick. Luke just needs to prove himself as an NFL player before he can potentially go after bigger things, such as possibly being the future starter, and anchor of the Cleveland Browns offensive line.
Notes, Odds and Ends
Some other notes before I wrap this one up:
The Browns traded their 7th round pick in this Draft (#229) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2024 6th round pick.
Cleveland signed another pair of Ohio State players as Undrafted Free Agents immediately following the Draft: Safeties Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McAllister.
McAllister played in 53 games for both Oklahoma State and Ohio State. He followed current Ohio State DC Jim Knowles to Columbus as a transfer, but he had a remarkable understanding of what kind of system Knowles liked to run both at Oklahoma State and Ohio State. If he gets a shot in Cleveland under Browns DC Jim Schwartz, hopefully he’s a quick learner there as well!
Ronnie Hickman started 26 games for Ohio State the past two seasons, and totaled 152 tackles, three interceptions and a sack. Hickman also has some experience as a Special Teamer as well, so he could be a good utility player for Cleveland.
Where do they go from here?
Overall, the Browns had a pretty solid Draft. But the biggest need for them in my opinion, still remains at linebacker. Anthony Walker is the leader of this Browns defense, and can diagnose and call out plays, as well as get everybody into position really well. But he’s struggled with staying healthy. If the Browns can pick up a reliable veteran linebacker (or two), that will help shore up one of their biggest weaknesses. It always seems as though we’re weak at the position, or multiple people are on Injured Reserve (IR) and out for the season.
If the Browns can fill this need, I feel cautiously optimistic that they have the pieces to make some noise. But I won’t get truly excited unless they’re in the race for the Playoffs or an AFC North Championship by Thanksgiving at the earliest. I have learned that the more hyped up the Browns are, the bigger the risk of disappointment. Hopefully Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski and the rest of the team just quietly go about their business in 2023. If they keep their nose to the grindstone, there’s no reason they can’t end up playing football in January!
GO BROWNS!
Source: ESPN
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