CLEVELAND, Ohio — Who will Browns GM Andrew Berry pick at No. 54 in the NFL Draft Friday night?
The selection might not be what most people expect.
Heading into his fifth draft as Browns GM, Berry has been known to buck conventional wisdom and surprise everyone with his top pick. It happened in each of the last two years, when he drafted cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. in the third round in 2022 despite taking Greg Newsome II in the first round the year before; and selecting receiver Cedric Tillman at No. 74 in 2023, despite having traded for receiver Elijah Moore.
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Many draft experts have the Browns taking either a defensive tackle such as LSU’s Maason Smith or Michigan’s Kris Jenkins at No. 54, or a receiver such as Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley or Oregon’s Troy Franklin.
But Berry could surprise everyone and take an offensive lineman, even an offensive tackle despite the fact they have three starters coming off season-ending knee injuries this year in Jack Conklin, Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones.
Conklin has suffered several major injuries over the past few years, and will turn 30 in August. Wills is heading into the final year of his contract, his fifth-year option year, and the Browns must determine if they’ll sign him to a long-term top-of-market left tackle deal.
They hosted several for “top 30 visits,” including Yale’s Kiran Amegadije, BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia, and British Columbia’s Giovanni Manu.
With the Browns being what Berry described at the NFL annual meetings last month as “offensive line snobs,” one can never rule out him drafting one high. With Joel Bitonio heading into his 11th season and turning 33 in October, it’s also not too soon to start thinking about his replacement. The Browns, pretty well-stocked at most positions, could do worse than find another potential All-Pro guard like Bitonio in the second round, and there could be some good ones available.
They could also select a defensive end, considering that Za’Darius Smith’s contract is up after this season and they’ll need a No. 2 edge. If a good, high-upside edge such as Kansas’ Austin Booker is there at 54, he might be hard to pass up. He needs some seasoning, but has the traits to develop into a dangerous weapon off the edge.
Of course, the second-round strategy will change if the Browns trade down, and that could certainly happen. With so many offensive players taken in the first round, a lot of excellent defensive players are still available, and the Browns might be able to move back six or seven spots, grab the player they like and get back into the fourth round.
They’re more likely to trade back than up to add that fourth-rounder
After No. 54 in the second round and No. 85 in the third, the Browns don’t pick again until No. 156 in the fifth.
With the class tailing off about midway through the fourth round, the Browns would like to get back into that round and replace the selection that went to Houston in the Deshaun Watson trade, the final pick of that blockbuster deal.
They might be able to do so by sliding down to No. 60 or so, and still get one of the players they would’ve taken at No. 54. The 71-pick gap between their third-round pick and their fifth is too wide, and they’d like to resolve it. If they can move back to 59 with the Texans or 60 with the Bills, they might be able to accomplish one of their Day 2 objectives and add another valuable selection to the mix.
If they trade back, and they’ll work the phones to try, it will be the third straight year they’ve traded down from the second round.
What about those two seventh-rounders?
The Browns have two seventh-rounders, their own at No. 243, and No. 227 from the Titans acquired two weeks ago in the trade for offensive tackle Leroy Watson. With Berry known for trading away his seventh-round picks, he’ll likely be working the phones to unload at least one of them, or possibly package them in a move up. One of the seventh-rounders could also sweeten the pot to get back into the fourth round.
How are the Browns feeling about their defensive tackle room?
Defensive tackle seems to be the “it” pick for the Browns among mock drafters, but they’re very happy with the position as it stands, having re-signed Maurice Hurst and Shelby Harris, and adding Quinton Jefferson in free agency. They also have 2023 third-round pick Siaki Ika eager to prove he deserves some playing time this season after seeing only 100 snaps on defense as a rookie.
That’s not to say the Browns won’t draft a tackle, but they’d be more likely to do so if they trade back and pick up that fourth-rounder, or if they select one in a later round.
What about their receiver group?
With such a deep receiving class this year, some good ones should be available at 54. But the Browns certainly don’t feel pressured to draft one because of the robust corps they have now.
After acquiring Jerry Jeudy in a trade with the Broncos, they have three starting receivers all acquired in trades the past three offseasons, including Amari Cooper in 2022 and Moore in 2023. They also still have their two third-round picks from the past two seasons in David Bell and Tillman, and 2022 sixth-round pick Michael Woods coming off an Achilles injury.
While they can’t have too many good receivers, there are only so many footballs to go around, especially with tight end David Njoku expected to receive the second- or third-most targets again in 2024.
Again, they certainly won’t rule it out, and will jump at the chance to grab a highly rated player if he slips, but they won’t trip over themselves rushing to hand in the card on a wideout at 54 unless it’s a special player they can’t pass up.
Tennessee QB Joe Milton III is still on the radar
The Browns brought Milton (6-foot-5, 234 pounds) in for a top-30 visit, and it wouldn’t be surprising for them to add him to their stable of quarterbacks. Question is, how high must they go to land him?
Because of his imposing size, cannon arm and dual-threat ability, Milton has gotten plenty of buzz in the past month, and some team might take a chance on him higher than the fifth or sixth round he’s projected to go.
Will it be the Browns?
New offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey has coached two similar-sized big-armed quarterbacks in Cam Newton and Josh Allen, and might be able to mold Milton into a quality NFL starter over the next few years. Some project him as an NFL tight end, but it would be interesting to see what he could do in this system with Dorsey bringing him along.
Will they draft a running back?
The Browns will certainly strongly consider a running back in a later round with Nick Chubb still working his way back from major reconstructive knee surgery. They probably wouldn’t take one on Day 2 unless they move down from No. 85, but they could possibly get interested in the fourth round if they end up there, or beyond. They like what they have in Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr. and D’Onta Foreman, but would like more depth heading into camp. They’ve hosted Florida State’s Trey Benson and BYU’s Aidan Robbins for visits, and have several other backs on their radar.
The Browns will soon pick up Greg Newsome II’s fifth-year option
Despite persistent trade rumors, Newsome isn’t being traded this weekend. In fact, the Browns will pick up his fifth-year option worth $13.37 million for 2025 before Thursday’s deadline. It might not happen until after the draft, but it’s a foregone conclusion. It also might not stop the trade rumors, but the Browns are still bullish on their 2021 first-round pick.
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