Ten Players I would love to see the Browns Draft

The week of the Draft is finally here! Predicting draft picks is a difficult task when your team does not pick until the 54th selection in the draft. I doubt anyone had thought the Browns would take Martin Emerson and Cedric Tillman as their first selections in the past two drafts. I have compiled a list of 10 players I really like and would be thrilled if the Browns drafted any of them. All of these players will be in the range of  50-85. I tried to be as realistic as possible.

Tier 1

1. Ricky Pearsall
   1. If Pearsall is there at 54, I think the Browns should sprint to the phone is call in the pick. I have mocked him a few times, but the longer the draft process as gone on, the more his stock has improved. He is six-foot, runs a 4.41, is very quick in and out of his routes, and catches the ball extremely well. Pearsall will be 24 years old by the time the season starts which is why he should be available in the mid to late second round. Dane Burgler has him as his 9th receiver behind Roman Wilson and Keon Coleman. He reminds me of Houston’s Tank Dell.
2. Malachi Corley
   1. Malachi Corley is a different type of receiver than Pearsall. He is more of the “Deebo Samuel” type. Being a former running back, he is not afraid to lower his shoulder. He is still fast, running a 4.49 40-yard dash. The Browns are moving towards using a lot of motion in their offense this year. He would have a nice fit in that role. Also, I think it would do him a lot of good to be in the same receiver room as Cooper, Moore, and Jeudy. He did have a top 30 visit with the Browns. I think he will definitely be there at 54, not so sure about 85. 
3. Edgerrin Cooper
   1. Cooper is Brugler second second-ranked linebacker. Like I said with Colson, the Browns are in need of another linebacker to play alongside JOK for the foreseeable future. The Browns have shown (with JOK) that they are willing to take a linebacker in the second round if the value and fit are right. Cooper is a very athletic linebacker running a 4.51. Last season he had 83 tackles, 17 TFL, 8.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. If Cooper is the best player on the board at 54, the Browns should take him!

Tier II

4. Cooper Beebe
   1. Beebe is a three-time first-team All-big 12 and a two-time Big 12 offensive lineman of the year. He has a very impressive resume and could start immediately for a team. For some reason, a lot of the mocks have him on the board around the 100th pick. I don’t see that happening. The Browns would be lucky to pick him up at 85. I would be happy if they drafted him at 54. The Browns need a plan to replace their aging guards. Teller’s injury history is streaky and Bitonio dealt with problems all of last year.
5. Mike Hall Jr.
   1. Mike Hall Jr. is a native of Cleveland and played for Ohio State. He is a quick and explosive defensive tackle. What was really impressive about his season and why I think the Browns are interested is that he had an 18.3% pass-win rate. He would be an excellent addition to an already-loaded DL group. I am not sure what the ramifications to the roster if they added another defensive tackle, but they wouldn’t pass on the talent. I like him at pick 85 or maybe a trade-up into the 60-70 range.
6. Jaden Hicks
   1. Hicks is a two-year starter for Washington State. He posted a 9.09 RAS score with a 4.5 40-yard dash, 37.5 vertical, and 6.88 3-Cone. Hicks has been linked to the Browns and took a top-30 visit last month. I think Hicks would find playing time right away on special teams and possibly in the slot corner role. He has the speed, agility, and toughness it takes to play that position. If not at slot, he can develop and be a potential replacement for Thronhill. Brugler has him as the best safety in this draft. He has a pretty wide range of where he could go. Last year we saw a lot of safeties fall because it is not a premium position. Also, look around the league at the some of the pro-bowl-caliber safeties that were released this offseason. (Justin Simmons, Jordan Poyer, and Micah Hyde). This could be an advantage for the Browns. If teams don’t have a high grade on this class, they can sign one of those vets for cheap.
7. Kiran Amegadjie
   1. Amegadjie is a developmental tackle out of Yale. He is big at 6’5 and 325 pounds. Burglar has him as the 12th tackle in a very deep tackle class and 87 overall. If the Browns pair him with Jones, that would be a great young tackle room. The Browns will definitely take a shot on a tackle in this draft. I put Amegadjie on this list because he has been linked to the Browns. This would be a nice pick at 85. 

Tier III

8. Junior Colson
   1. Another Michigan guy who had a great season. He did not test, so we don’t have a lot of combine data but he is a two-time second-team All-Big Ten. Brugler actually has him as his #1 linebacker ahead of Payton Wilson. The Browns are in need of another young linebacker next to JOK. Colson’s tough and gritty nature would be a great fit with the Browns defense. The Browns would need to use their 54th pick if they wanted him.
9. Kris Jenkins
   1. Jenkins comes from a family of great football players. His dad played 10 seasons in the NFL. Jenkins had a solid career at Michigan, doing a lot of the dirty work for the nation’s best defense. Like I said with Hall Jr. if they added another DT, an odd man may be out. Brugler has Jenkins as his 3rd DT and 36 overall. Jenkins could go before pick 54, but if he is there the Browns might not be able to pass on him. I would prefer, they try to get Mike Hall Jr. later in round 3.
10. Trey Benson
    1. I hope the Browns don’t use a premium pick on a RB, but if they do, Benson would be my guy. Benson ran a 4.39 and had back-to-back seasons with over 900 yards rushing for the Seminoles. He has some big play ability with the ball in his hands. A concern would be that he has already had one significant knee injury. Brugler has him as his 3rd running back. I would be okay if the Browns used their 85th pick on Benson.

Honorable Mention Players: 

• DL – Ruke Orhorhoro
• WR – Ja’Lynn Polk
• WR – Xavier Legette
• LB – Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
• OG – Christain Haynes

If none of these players are Cleveland Browns by the end of the week, it is not the end of the world. Hopefully, it is for a good reason. Every year players fall down draft boards for whatever reason. Andrew Berry and his staff know way more about these players than I or any Browns fan do. Trust in AB. Go Browns!

*Shoutout to Dane Brugler and his “The Beast” for a lot of great information on these players.