The 2022 NFL season for the Cleveland Browns will go down as one of the most bizarre seasons in franchise history. Fans were mentally prepared for a minor set back going into the new season after the team’s new franchise quarterback was suspended for 11 games. But it was everything else their eyes and mental state were not prepared to see. At the end of the day, it was a reality check for the front office that much more work needed to be done for the Browns to be a consistent competitor in the National Football League.
Starting with the pros, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett did a helluva job holding the fort down while Deshaun Watson was suspended. The Browns went 4-7 while he was under center. Only two of the loses were really on Brissett. He put up better statistics than most of the other quarterbacks in the league up to Week 12, some of whom are potential Hall of Famers. He started the season by beating former Browns first overall pick Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers, with the help of a franchise record 58 yard field goal by rookie kicker Cade York. That would be the first Week 1 win for the Browns since 2004. Brissett ended his term with a comeback win in overtime versus his former mentor, Tom Brady.
Nick Chubb had another superb season with 1,525 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. Browns receivers consistently caught the pig skin and were a thorn in the side of opposing defensive backs. Amari Cooper led the way with 1,160 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. The offensive line continued to dominate and had three representatives in the Pro Bowl. Coach Kevin Stefanski became only the 2nd coach since the 1999 franchise revival to beat each division rival one time in a season. The other? Freddie Kitchens in 2019. Yes, it has only happened twice within the past 23 years.
While some of these accomplishments sound great, 2022 was another season where the cons out weighed the pros. What was a top five defensive unit in 2021 dropped down to a 19th ranked defense the next season. That in itself cost Cleveland many games, including Week 2 at home against the Jets where the team was up by 13 with 1:42 left in the game. That would end up tying the worst collapse in a regular season game with under 2 minutes left. A mark that was also made by the Browns in 2001.
Linebacker Anthony Walker suffered an injury during the Week 3 game against Pittsburgh and was out for the rest of the season. After he went down, Cleveland had issues stopping the run game and had no answer to who would fill that void. While Deion Jones was a solid addition, that wasn’t enough to consistently contain opposing backs. On top of the defensive struggles, the special teams unit became inconsistent and a critical factor into some of the games they lost. Despite his heroics in week 1, Cade York ended his season with a 75% field goal percentage and was tied for 35th in the league (reminder, there are only 32 teams). Penalties were of plenty on the special teams unit which cost the Browns plenty of yardage. The only thing that went right for special teams was punter Corey Bojorquez and Donovan Peoples-Jones punt return touchdown in Week 13 against Houston.
Finally, Deshaun Watson makes his Browns debut. Everyone expected him to be rusty out of the gate, but it became tough to watch at times. They went 3-3 with Watson under center including wins against his former team the Houston Texans, division rival Baltimore Diry Birds, and the team formally known as the Redskins. The three loses really hurt, and I mean more than blowing it to the Jets with less than 2 minutes to go. Watson was unable to comeback against the Bengals in Week 14, resulting in Cincinnati’s first win against Coach Stefanski. Barely hanging on to playoff contention, the Browns fell to the Saints at home on Christmas Eve, which was the second coldest game in Cleveland history. Watson missed several opportunities to tie the game. Blame the cold all you want but it effects both teams. And no team from the south with the duo of Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill should beat Cleveland in those weather conditions. But it happened. Then in the final game of the regular season, Watson turned the ball over more times than he did the previous 5 games resulting in a Steelers victory in Pittsburgh. For the first time under Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland had lost 10 games. Normally, when a Browns coach hits a new low and loses to Pittsburgh in the last game of the season, they get canned. But fortunately for Stefanski, he will see another season leading the Dawg Pound. Watson ended 2022 with 1,102 yards, 7 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, and one rushing touchdown. He had a QB rating of 79.1 which was the worst for a quarterback under Stefanski.
After all that, the strangest part of the season happened after it was all over. The increased optimism among the fans, media, and players. In a normal circumstance when the Cleveland Browns have a losing season, fans demand for a roster blow up and they fight amongst each other until the preseason. The media over exaggerates every new roster addition and sells the idea of a massive turnaround so the ticket reps can sell more seats. But this is different.
We know Deshaun Watson has the ability to do more than what he showed in those 6 games. He did miss almost two whole seasons. We know the offensive line and weapons are there to inflict serious damage on opposing defenses. The defense has more playmakers than any Browns defense has had in many years. There is also a chance Cade York is the long term answer at kicker the team has been missing since the departure of Phil Dawson. It seems almost all together.
But then it gets weirder!!! For what might be the first time in franchise history, the Cleveland Browns had checked off ALL their major needs a month after free agency opened. I’m talking players and coaches. Defense and special teams did not perform up to par. As a result, defensive coordinator Joe Woods and special teams coach Mike Preifer were shown the door. They were replaced by Jim Schwartz and Bubba Ventrone. Schwartz has been defensive coordinator for three different teams before in a span of 13 seasons. All defensive units were successful including the Super Bowl 52 champion Philadelphia Eagles, which was one out of three Super Bowls Tom Brady did NOT win. Ventrone played for the Browns from 2009 to 2012. He was the Indianapolis Colts special teams coach from 2018 to 2022.
The Browns desperately needed defensive tackles, an upgrade at strong safety, a starting defensive end, a starting middle linebacker, special teams help, and more wide receivers. It’s all done!! Andrew Berry has successfully covered those needs and will use the draft for more depth and building blocks. With eight total picks the team will take their next steps towards improvement so they can return to the postseason. Every successful franchise is built by consistently picking right in rounds 2 thru 4. While they may not have a first round pick, they hit on those four picks in rounds 3 and 4, the team becomes four players better. That can make a world of difference.
With all that being said, what eight players will get their names called when Cleveland is on the clock in Kansas City? Here is my predictions and preferences for the Cleveland Browns in rounds 3 & 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft:
Key Additions: DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, S Juan Thornhill, TE Jordan Akins, WR Elijah Moore, G Wes Martin, and WR Marquise Goodwin.
Key Departures: S John Johnson, DE Jadeveon Clowney, DE Chase Winovich, QB Jacoby Brissett, CB Greedy Williams, and DT Taven Bryan.
Key Returns: CB A.J. Green, QB Josh Dobbs, LB Anthony Walker, LB Sione Takitaki, and C Ethan Pocic.
Currently FA: RB Kareem Hunt, LB Dion Jones, T Chris Hubbard, and S Ronnie Harrison.
Browns traded their 1st round pick (12th overall) and their 3rd round pick (73rd overall) to the Houston Texans in last year’s Deshaun Watson trade.
Browns traded their 2nd round pick (42nd overall) to the New York Jets for their 3rd round pick (74th overall) and WR Elijah Moore. This second round pick has since been flipped to the Green Bay Packers in the Aaron Rodgers trade.
Predictions
**TRADE**
Browns trade all their 2023 picks and Jedrick Wills Jr. to the Arizona Cardinals for the 3rd overall pick.
Round 1, Pick 3
Browns select T Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
I had to mess with some of you Browns fans here. Congrats to Mr. Thomas for making the Pro Football Hall of Fame!! We’ll see you in Canton this August!
Ok, now for real this time.
Round 3, Pick 74 (via Jets)
Browns select T Tyler Steen, Alabama
I’ll have some Browns fans criticize me off the bat for this pick not being a defensive tackle here. I’ll respond by reminding fans that Berry went out and signed about five new defensive tackles, including new starter Dalvin Tomlinson. On top of that, linemen such as Jordan Elliot, Tommy Togiai, and, believe it or not, Perrion Winfrey will still be in the mix. With Jim Schwartz at the helm I expect all those guys to improve in some way. Therefore, unless Andrew Berry is absolutely sold on a defensive tackle here, I see other needs being met with the first couple picks.
Right before the combine, the Browns had made it clear they wanted to take advantage of this deep offensive line class. They seem to be looking more at left tackles and there is a case to be made for it. Chris Hubbard most likely won’t be back with the team after back-to-back seasons of suffering serious injuries. James Hudson III has been solid filling in for Jack Conklin at right tackle when needed, but struggled when having to play on the left side. Jedrick Wills’ rookie contract is almost up and with his inconsistency on the field the front office maybe hesitant to give him an expensive, long term deal. Cleveland needs depth and a potential back up plan at left tackle.
Tyler Steen saw alot of playing time between Vanderbilt and Alabama. Primarily at left tackle but played also well at the right side. A good balance of power and agile style blocking that helps keep defenders away from disrupting the pass play. He is better in the run game than in the pass. In his senior season, he gave up 2 sacks and 16 hurries to opposing defenses, which is a lot compared to the high standard the SEC has for its offensive line prospects. There is some work to be done with Steen, but there is also some serious potential at the pro level. He has been compared to former Brown, Mitchell Schwartz. Cleveland has brought Steen in for an interview within the past month.
Round 3, Pick 98 (compensation)
Browns pick CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
Both Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry were defensive backs. Look at their previous three drafts and you will see they take defensive back depth seriously. Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Martin Emerson maybe the best cornerback trio in the league. But injuries happen and you need to prepare for the worst. Greedy Williams signed with the Eagles leaving the Browns with one less reliable option at cornerback.
Darius Rush is an athletic freak! He started his collegiate career as a wide receiver and switched to cornerback in 2018. In the past two seasons he had 3 interceptions and 15 deflections. It has been noted his ball awareness and timing is one of the best in the class. Andrew Berry loves corners who can consistently break up the pass. The downside is that he hasn’t mastered man-to- man coverage since his position switch. He struggled against faster receivers on long pass plays and would occasionally give up chunks of yardage. He did get his fair share of pass interference calls for grabbing receivers. All in all, Rush could be tough player in the NFL. Some scouts and analysts have compared him to Richard Sherman.
Round 4, Pick 111th
Browns select S Jammie Robinson, Florida State University
Unfortunately, John Johnson III did not pan out. He was released at the start of free agency and replaced by two time Super Bowl champion and former 2nd round pick for the Chiefs, Juan Thornhill. Grant Delpit and Thornhill are expected to be the starters for 2023, but you have to believe Andrew Berry wants insurance at the position should anything happen.
Jammie Robinson is a 2-time first team All-ACC. He came into FSU as a cornerback and eventually switched to safety. The guy is a tackling and turnover machine. He started all 4 years of college racking up 319 tackles (99 in 2022), 7 interceptions, forcing 3 fumbles, 15.5 tackles for a loss, and 15 pass deflections. A leader in the locker room who’s only regret at FSU is that they didn’t win a championship while he was there. He does have average speed which will be a problem at the pro level. Some scouts think he’ll have difficulty going up against the bigger receivers. Cleveland has brought in Robinson for an interview and does seem very interested at this point. There have been comparisons to former Brown, Damarious Randall.
Round 4, Pick 126 (via Vikings)
Browns select QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
The quarterback class for this draft has been the talk of the league. Most of that hype will end after the first round, but there will be plenty of quality quarterbacks available in the later rounds. At the combine, the Browns admitted their interest in walking away with one of the quarterbacks in this class. A project who would eventually be Deshaun Watson’s primary backup and potentially his replacement in several years. They started their evaluation by talking to Florida’s Anthony Richardson at the combine, but that was before he shot way up on the draft board. There were several others they have talked to since then, but one has seemed to make a bigger impression on the front office than the others.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a red shirt Senior that played all 5 years at UCLA. He made drastic improvements to his game after Coach Chip Kelly took him under his wing. He put up his best numbers in 2022 with 3,154 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and completing 69.6% of his passes. He also rushed for 646 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns on the ground. He had 28 total rushing touchdowns in his time with the Bruins.
With the exception of former backup Case Keenum, all the quarterbacks under Kevin Stefanski have had solid mobility. In today’s game it is important to have a quarterback that can move outside the pocket and then some in order to keep moving the ball down the field. No doubt Thompson-Robinson’s scrambling ability caught the Browns eye. Outside his ability to run, he has great field awareness, above average short and mid range accuracy, and his primary focus is winning at all costs. He doesn’t have the strongest arm which could limit him on some plays. He also has issues recognizing some zone coverage situations which led to most of the interceptions he threw. Some will bring up his size, but he is still similar to Deshaun Watson and Jalen Hurts in that regard. At the end of day, his playmaking and athletic ability can’t be denied.
Preferences
Round 3, Pick 74 (via Jets)
I pick RB Devon Achane, Texas A&M
As of right now, the Browns status with Kareem Hunt remains up in the air. He is a free agent and it seems as though he isn’t getting looks anywhere else. If I had my way, he would be back in Cleveland. In the case they do take off and have a much better season, he deserves to be a part of it. But it is critical they find a right hand man for Nick Chubb.
Fans saw in 2020 and early 2021 how much of an asset Hunt was to the offense. Another back who could run and catch the ball well opened the field. If this offense is going to see its true potential they need that back. The past few drafts the front office has brought in Demetric Felton and Jerome Ford as projects, but they only bring so much to the table right now. Even if Hunt returns, they need a long term running back to compliment Chubb.
Devon Achane was the fastest running back in the NCAA last season. Absolutely torched defenses with his speed! He ran the 100-meter dash in 10.02 seconds. He had a quick burst at the line and was never slowed down unless he was hit. A second-team All-SEC honor with 1,102 yards (third most in NCAA) with 5.6 average and 8 touchdowns. He did well receiving the ball by bringing in 65 receptions for 554 yards and 5 touchdowns over 3 seasons.
Achane is not the biggest guy and that’s why he had issues breaking between tackles. But it is his ability to play in the open field that makes him special. Watching film of him taking on defenders down the field and watching them struggle to bring him down looked too familiar. That’s because he looked liked Nick Chubb breaking tackles. If the Browns could bring in someone with a similar skill set as Chubb with blazing speed, this offense will be on a new level.
Other option: RB Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
Round 3, Pick 98 (compensation)
I select DE Isaiah McGuire, Missouri
I really felt for Myles Garrett last season. He carried that defensive line with little to no action going on the other side. Jadeveon Clowney was just about non-existent. Rookie Alex Wright showed some serious potential. Chase Winovich was decent but chose to take his talents to Houston. Signing Ogbonnia Okoronkwo will drastically help, but they need more. Jim Schwartz will want to pressure quarterbacks in more ways than just Myles Garrett.
Isaiah McGuire had 62 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles in the past 2 seasons combined for Missouri. He brings a good mix of speed and power to his game. If an offensive tackle gives him the slightest edge he will get to the quarterback in a blink of an eye. While he played mostly on the right side of the line he also did just as well on the left. So there is flexibility with him. His criticism comes from his lack of speed off the line. If he can improve that, you are talking about a primer pass rushing threat. There aren’t many mid round grade defensive ends in this draft. McGuire will be one of the last high quality options for Cleveland here.
Other option: EDGE Byron Young, Tennessee
Round 4, Pick 111
I pick LB Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama
Plain and simple. The Browns need to find a long term answer at middle linebacker. Anthony Walker is returning on a one-year deal to be the starter next season, but when he went down last season it was a nightmare. I wouldn’t rule out bringing back Dion Jones for a short term deal for depth reasons. He overall played really well the last two months of the season. But the more depth the better.
One word comes to mind when it comes to Henry To’oTo’o: TACKLE!!!
This guys knows how to bring anyone down on the gridiron. He was First-team All-SEC with 94 tackles and led the Crimson Tide with 112 tackles the previous season. He does a fine job blitzing and going against the run game. The one thing he really needs to work on is pass coverage. Both zone and man. Cleveland was a bad tackling team most of the season, so let’s put that to rest.
Round 4, Pick 126 (via Vikings)
I pick LB Noah Sewell, Oregon
In case you haven’t figured it out, I was not happy with Browns linebacker crew last season. They can’t just rely on Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to make all the plays at the second level. This needs to be addressed right away. So, yes, I go back-to-back linebackers here.
If you would have asked me a few years ago about Noah Sewell in this draft, I would have told you he would be a top five pick. Hell, even last year’s Way Too Early Mocks had him as a top ten pick. He was a five-star highschool recruit with a lot of hype. Won Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2020. Even stepped it up his sophomore season and was selected First-Team all-conference.
So what happened?! His lack of pass rush and pass coverage ability set him back. He had 114 tackles, 8.5 for a loss (4 sacks), 1 interception, 5 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles in 14 starts in 2021. The next season he had 56 tackles, 5.5 for a loss (1.5 sacks), 1 interception, and 4 pass deflections in 12 starts. Took an absolute dive down the draft board.
While that seems alarming it does not take away from his talent and potential. With the right coaching and training, he could be an absolute steal. He comes from a football family. His brother, Penei, was a 1st round pick for the Lions in 2021. Sewell plays the game tough, has great size, and pro level tackling ability. He would be a good hype man on the field and in the locker room.
This was the first Cleveland Browns 4-Round Mock I did without a first or second round pick. However, these four picks if made right could make a significant impact for the next several years. They’re are still important when building a winning environment. That being said, LET’S GO BROWNS!! TIME TO ADD SOME NEW DAWGS!!
Seth Lipocky is host of internet radio show Ten Cent Beer night on Wednesday nights, 7:30-8:30pm EST on Fifth Dimension Radio.
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