The 2020 NFL Draft is just about a month away, which means that The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for every team. Each NFL team will be looked at heading into this year’s draft including what their needs are and who they could be targeting. The Cleveland Browns will be the 10th team evaluated.
Summary
Although they came into the season as one of the favorites in the AFC to make a deep run, the Browns limped to a 6-10 record. With rookie head coach Freddie Kitchens at the helm, things started off poorly, as they went 2-6 to start the year. Cleveland was never able to recover fully and missed the playoffs. After the season, general manager John Dorsey and Kitchens were let go. Andrew Berry was brought in to be the general manager, while Kevin Stefanski will be the new head coach.
The Browns only managed to score 20.9 points per game last season, which ranked 22nd in the league. They ranked 20th in passing yards per game and 12th in rushing. Baker Mayfield did not progress in his second season under center. He had 21 interceptions and a completion percentage of 59.4, which were both worse than in 2018. This was with the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. to the offense. Both Beckham and Jarvis Landry had over 1,000 yards receiving. On the ground, Nick Chubb had a great season with 1,494 rushing yards. Things will need to improve on the offensive line and for Mayfield for the Browns to take the leap they were supposed to take last season. Right tackle Jack Conklin was signed to improve the offensive line, while tight end Austin Hooper gives Mayfield yet another weapon to utilize.
Their defense ranked 20th in the league, allowing 24.9 points per game. They ranked 30th against the run and seventh against the pass last season. The defensive line features some great players including Myles Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi and Olivier Vernon. They suffered a hit to their linebacking core, as Mack Wilson is the only returning starter. While Denzel Ward is a star at cornerback, the rest of the secondary played much better than expected last season. This offseason, linebacker B.J. Goodson and safety Karl Joseph were signed to strengthen the defense.
2020 NFL Draft Picks
The Browns have seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
First Round (one pick)- No. 10
Second Round (one pick)- No. 41
Third Round (two picks)- No. 74, No. 97
Fourth Round (one pick)- No. 115
Fifth Round (no picks)
Sixth Round (one pick)- No. 188
Seventh Round (one pick)- No. 245
Team Needs
Offensive Tackle- Signing Conklin was a good start, but the Browns need someone to protect Mayfield’s blindside for the future.
Offensive Guard/Center- The offensive line didn’t play well as a whole last season, so all positions need to be explored to help get the most of the skill position players.
Linebacker- Mack Wilson and B.J. Goodson are decent, but more is needed after losing Joe Schobert in free agency.
Wide Receiver- Beckham Jr. and Landry are great. Cleveland needs to find better players behind them on the depth chart.
Safety- Both Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph were signed. The Browns will likely still search for ways to upgrade the position.
2020 NFL Draft Targets
First Round:
Pick No. 10: Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama
With so many talented tackles in the draft class, one will likely fall to the Browns at pick no. 10. They need to take the best one available, which could be Wills. He had a great season at Alabama and shot up draft boards throughout the season. Wills played right tackle at Alabama, but he was protecting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s blindside. He has the necessary skill to be the team’s left tackle for the next handful of years.
Second Round:
Pick No. 41: Tyler Biadasz, OG/C, Wisconsin
Biadasz is looking like a good second-day selection and could play guard or center. He had a down season in 2019, but has enough good tape to be selected in round two. The Browns can shuffle around their offensive line with Biadasz to get five solid starters for the 2020 season. If the offense doesn’t work after investing this much into the line, other positions will need to be looked at.
Third Round:
Pick No. 74: Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
Wilson had a solid career at Wyoming and is a top 10 linebacker in the draft class. The Browns can develop Wilson while Mack Wilson and Goodson get most of the snaps at linebacker. He is all over the field making tackles, so it shouldn’t be long before he can contribute for the Browns.
Pick No. 97: Lynn Bowden, WR, Kentucky
Bowden would be the perfect player to complement Landry and Beckham. Those two could play on the outside, while Bowden operates out of the slot, giving Mayfield more weapons than what he will know what to do with. Bowden played quarterback, wide receiver, returned kicks and ran the ball for Kentucky a lot. He is a jack-of-all-trades that will be able to do a lot for an NFL offense.
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