Perfect Picks 2023: Cleveland Browns
With the NFL Draft approaching we will be looking at each team and evaluating where they need to improve. In this particular series we will run a seven round mock using the Pro Football Network Mock Draft Simulator and find the ‘Perfect Picks’ for each franchise.
We will highlight four players that could help each team. This will feature picks 1 and 2, a mid round gem and a late round sleeper.
Round 2 - Keeanu Benton (Defensive Tackle, Wisconsin)
The Browns have invested a couple of mid-round selections at defensive tackle recently. Perrion Winfrey and Tommy Togiai will get a shot at a starting gig in 2023 but help is needed. Taven Bryan never panned out and the Browns have to find a way of supporting Myles Garrett from the interior.
Wisconsin tackle Keeanu Benton plays mostly from the nose spot. He is big and physical at the point of contact. At times he lives in the backfield but must improve his down-to-down consistency. He flashes good lateral movement skills and some power through the hands. That gives him some pass rushing potential and versatility to line up over center or in the B-gap. He would be an immediate upgrade.
Round 3 - A.T. Perry (Wide Receiver, Wake Forest)
Perry was high on a lot of people’s pre-season receiver rankings, and his performance in 2022 shouldn’t do much to change that. He put together back-to-back 1,000 receiving-yard seasons as Sam Hartman’s main target in Wake Forest’s slow mesh system. He ran a blazing 40 in Indy, and that will put him back on the radar of NFL teams. He is skinny, and the concern will be bigger NFL corners will jam him, but he is a smooth route runner with killer speed.
It will certainly be a position the Browns will address at some point this offseason. Amari Cooper is undoubtedly the number 1, but Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Bell and Anthony Schwartz must bridge the gap and become a reliable number 2. Perry would immediately get into that mix and be another cheap option, something that Deshaun Watson’s contract will force the team to find.
Mid Round Gem - Chase Brown (Running Back, Illinois)
Running backs in the NFL have a short shelf-life. The Browns’ backfield epitomises that. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were considered one of the best duo’s in the league, but Hunt will leave in free agency, and rumours swirl about Chubb as a trade asset. While Chubb undoubtedly has gas in the tank, the way backs’ productivity drops off means teams are always willing to listen to offers.
The Browns’ offense will likely take a further lurch to a more passing style to suit Watson, with Chubb used in effective, punishing bursts. Adding a workmanlike, mid-round back like Illinois’ Chase Brown, gives them a solid backup with an eye to the future. Brown might not have elite breakaway speed, but he is a tough, tackle-breaking runner. One that would suit the AFC North. He also has a wicked cut that often earns him extra yardage. Don’t be surprised if he takes his college production into the pros.
Late Round Sleeper - Ventrell Miller (Linebacker, Florida)
If you read all of our Perfect Picks series, you will often see the late-round sleeper being a linebacker. I just believe there is so much value to adding backup second-level players who project as special teams players. Miller fits that bill. With SEC experience and excellent tackling skills, you have to think Miller has every chance to make an NFL 53-man roster. His coverage grade of 56.6 in 2022 highlights his athletic limitations, but he is a true middle ‘backer who enjoys coming downhill.
The Browns have more athletic options in Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Jacob Phillips. Yet they are set to lose strongside linebackers Anthony Walker and Reggie Ragland. Miller is undersized but would provide a solid backup option to those guys.
Draft In Full:
Round 2 – Keeanu Benton (Defensive Tackle, Wisconsin)
Round 3 – A.T. Perry (Wide Receiver, Wake Forest)
Round 4 – Isaiah McGuire (Edge Rusher, Missouri)
Round 4 – Chase Brown (Running Back, Illinois)
Round 5 – Jaxson Kirkland (Offensive Guard, Washington)
Round 5 – Quindell Johnson (Safety, Memphis)
Round 6 – Ventrell Miller (Linebacker, Florida)
Round 7 – Earl Bostick Jr (Offensive Tackle, Kansas)
