Browns Draft Approach Paves Way for Multiple UDFAs to Make 53-Man Roster

The approach the Cleveland Browns took with the 2023 NFL Draft may have paved the way for a record number of undrafted free agents to make the opening day roster in Andrew Berry's tenure as general manager.

By seemingly ignoring needs while drafting premium positions in this year's draft, the Cleveland Browns gave themselves an opportunity to maximize the value of the selections they made while adding undrafted free agents that have a golden opportunity to make the opening day roster. There's risk involved with the strategy, but there's also a strong argument in favor of making their standard approach to the draft.

The Browns made seven selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, five of which were at premium positions. The two that weren't, a defensive tackle and center are attempts to establish clear lines of succession. Positions that were holes on the roster, including safety and running back that weren't addressed now have undrafted rookies signed to compete for a spots on the roster.

The Browns drafted players at wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive end, quarterback and corner. All of those positions are high money spots, the best of which almost never come available in free agency. If the Browns strike gold on any of them, they save money against the cap with control once their rookie contract ends. In the case of quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, he could be a valuable backup for a few years, then get traded to bring back more assets than were spent to acquire him.

In third-round pick Siaki Ika and sixth-round selection Luke Wypler, the Browns are hoping they can take over for Dalvin Tomlinson and Ethan Pocic eventually. Tomlinson has a premium contract and hard two-year out while Pocic could be retained longer if needed. Beyond simply needing to fill those positions, these are attempts to save money against the cap.

Safety and running back were two needs expected to be addressed in this year's draft. Some also believed the Browns could use more linebacker help. Coming out of the draft without selecting anyone at those spots, there are reasonable questions whether they have enough. Currently, they have options.

These positions aren't money positions unless a team wants them to be. Safety in particular has a wide range of contract figures and it largely depends on a team's preferences. They currently have Juan Thornhill on a three-year contract at the most important position.

The talent in this year's safety class was widely panned by critics. Instead of drafting potentially an undertalented player to fill a need, the Browns took those swings on more impactful positions and signed several options after the draft.

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This works on two fronts. Agents aren't stupid. They look at depth charts across the league and try to find the teams with the best chance of success. The Browns had a few sizable holes on theirs and the organization has improved its reputation under Berry's tenure. More talented options may be inclined to look at Cleveland and allow the Browns to pick the best fits. That enhances the quality of the 90-man roster, increases competition and should produce a stronger 53 for the season.

If defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is more inclined to utilize a safety in the box routinely, that matches with what Ohio State safety Ronnie Hickman does well.

Unless there's a major medical or character flag with Hickman, the Browns got a player that consensus boards believed was draftable without having to spend a draft pick. PFF ranked him 145th on their board as an example. Short of an injury or being completely incapable, Hickman could have one of the easier paths to make the opening day 53 among undrafted free agents across the league.

Should Hickman fall short, the Browns could claim another safety waived later in the process and he could still end up making it to the Browns practice squad.

Hickman was one of three undrafted players that could potentially contribute at safety for the Browns. The other two are Tanner McCalister, a fellow Buckeye who could theoretically compete at both safety spots as well as the slot. The last might be Charlie Thomas out of Georgia Tech. A linebacker in college, he only weighed 216 pounds. Maybe the Browns are content to keep him there, but the role he played for the Yellowjackets might allow for a transition into a box safety or even playing in the slot.

The Browns took a similar approach with linebacker. Although the depth chart wasn't quite as wide open as safety, there's an opportunity to earn a spot on the 53. Maybe Charlie Thomas is a part of that, but the Browns also signed outside linebacker Mohamoud Diabate out of Utah.

Diabate likely plays SAM and provides insurance for Sione Takitaki, who is still recovering from the torn ACL tear he suffered last year. Depending on how Diabate performs and the rate in which Takitaki recovers, Diabate could find his way onto the opening day roster even if only temporarily. He could get a ton of reps in camp as well as the preseason. So even if he doesn't stick with the Browns, he will have plenty of tape out there for other teams to evaluate.

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Running back was a strength in this draft class. The Browns didn't select one and then signed Hassan Hall of Georgia Tech as a rookie free agent. Fast and able to take advantage of space, Hall could be a great fit with a Browns offense that intends to use more spread concepts.

If Hall can prove to be as capable as Dontrell Hilliard or D'Ernest Johnson were before him, the Browns could have their third running back. They may still be shopping for a veteran backup, but until that happens, Hall is going to try convince the Browns they don't need one.

These are three positions the Browns could use help, but didn't select in the draft and undrafted free agents could end up on their opening day roster. If they only keep two, that's twice as many undrafted free agents as have made the Browns opening day roster since Andrew Berry has been the general manager. D'Anthony Bell, a safety from West Florida was the first to do it last year.

Did Andrew Berry and the Browns organization plan it this way? Maybe to a point. The Browns didn't put together their draft board and simply leave running back, linebacker and safety off of it. In the draft process, they likely stuck to their board for the most part and if they loved a player at those positions at a pick, they would've taken them.

However, when they put their board together, they may have noticed that they had fewer linebackers and safeties on it than a normal year. Or that the linebackers and safeties they had on their board were mostly populating the later rounds. Based on that, they could have used previous drafts to estimate the number of players that would be drafted at those positions and then concluded that there would be options available to them after the draft, regardless of which players were selected.

Perhaps that influenced them to steer their later picks towards money positions and the Luke Wypler pick. But if they picked one of those positions, they likely would have taken the same approach at center, signing an undrafted free agency to compete there.

Is this something the Browns could do again in future drafts? Perhaps. It's certainly something they should consider. The process makes sense in terms of maximizing the talent a draft can offer them. There's an argument that a team should use every single draft pick on premium positions since those are the most difficult to acquire. The Browns already tend to prioritize money positions, especially early in the draft. It wouldn't be a major adjustment for them to carry out that process the entire way so long as the value is there.

Ultimately, the reason those positions are considered premium is because they have such a high impact on a team's win total. And while the draft is about adding players, it's a process that should be focused on adding wins.

There is risk that after the draft, the roster has gaping holes on the roster they can't adequately fill and bite them during the season. For the Browns, safety and running back stand out as vulnerabilities on the roster. But if they are able to hit on the premium positions at even an average clip, it could cover up a lot of other issues. Additionally, that could work to their advantage in attracting talent in free agency to fill those other holes and provide an alternate means of adding draft assets.

Look no further than corner. The Browns used the first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft on Martin Emerson Jr. with the 68th pick of the third round. Not a position that was considered a need, the pick was a surprise. The team already had Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II with Troy Hill in the slot. Nevertheless, they took Emerson, traded Hill to the Los Angeles Rams for a drat pick and Emerson had a strong rookie year. The Browns now have a strong corner group with plenty of depth and gives new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz plenty of options.

Then with Ward, Newsome and Emerson, the Browns added another corner, Cameron Mitchell in the fifth round of this year's draft. It's a fifth round pick as opposed to a third, but the principle is the same.

For the sake of argument, say Mitchell hits and becomes a good slot corner in his rookie. With Newsome, Emerson and Mitchell, the Browns could theoretically see what teams would offer for Denzel Ward in a trade, which could net them resources and save them money against the cap. Money they could use to keep Nick Chubb another year if they were so inclined. That's not to say the Browns trade Ward, but illustrates what loading up a premium position group allows a team to do.

The Cedric Tillman and Dorian Thompson-Robinson picks follow the same thought process. The Browns are hoping Tillman can take over for Amari Cooper in two seasons. Should that happen, the Browns make a smooth transition offensively while saving both money and draft capital that can be used elsewhere. Even if he falls short, the expenditure is relatively minor.

Whether a coincidence or by design, the Browns have created a situation where they are taking swings at the right positions while still being able to fill other holes on their roster.

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The Browns also have an undrafted free agent that could make the roster the old fashioned way. In fact, this one may be the best of their undrafted group and it's at a premium position that has plenty of competition.

That's Lonnie Phelps, an edge rusher out of Kansas, ranked 178th on PFF's board. A Cincinnati native, he started his collegiate career at Miami(OH) before playing his final year in Lawrence, Kansas.

Phelps is an undersized speed rusher with tremendous power. He's got a great burst off the line and will convert speed to power using leverage to drive opposing tackles back into the backfield as he tries to attack the quarterback. He also loves to get opponents to over set outside only to slash inside, get skinny and generate immediate pressure on the quarterback. Phelps plays with his hair on fire and has tremendous range, giving him the ability to chase down plays like an extra linebacker.

With the Browns planning to use wide ends Phelps will consistently have room to operate. Offensive tackles will have to play him in space, which allows Phelps to generate to use his speed more effectively and create more momentum when he tries to convert speed to power. He brings more speed to try to corral and close on athletic quarterbacks including the recently re-signed Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.

If that wasn't enough, Phelps can also play on special teams, specifically on kickoff coverage. He also has experience on punt. 4.55 speed with his strength screaming down hill could result in some highlight plays that fire up his teammates and the crowd. Phelps could quickly become a fan favorite in the preseason.

Phelps is going to bring intensity, likely get in a camp in training camp or few and prove to be a player that a team will hate to cut. Short of an injury, I would be surprised if Phelps doesn't make the opening day roster.

With Phelps, the potential is there for up to three or four undrafted free agents to make the Browns opening day roster. In a year when the Browns have a talented roster and didn't have a pick in the first or second round and had eight selections at their disposal, up to 20 percent of the opening day roster could be rookies from this class. A different approach to this year's draft, but one that bears watching because it could be something the Browns embrace going forward.