The Possibilities for the Browns at 44th Pick, My Best Guess on the Selection

Predicting who is in the conversation for the Cleveland Browns with their first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft and the direction they ultimately go with their first selection.

The Cleveland Browns are focused on the NFL Draft as stated by General Manager Andrew Berry on Friday. Even if they have some irons in the fire to potentially address holes on the roster, it's unlikely anything will change before Thursday. So, with all of the preparation done, who are the Browns looking at with the 44th pick of the NFL Draft?

The Browns are going to stick to their board and take the player they feel is the best with a focus on the long term. All things being equal, I expect the Browns would take a defensive end. It's not only one of the most valuable positions on the field, but they desperately need a plan of succession. 

Even if they re-sign Jadeveon Clowney, they need more behind him and Myles Garrett, but they also need to find a way forward that doesn't have them going into free agency every year looking for a starter. If they can hit on the pick, it becomes a massive cost saver that helps offset the cost of Garrett's deal, giving them more flexibility overall.

Logan Hall from Houston is an intriguing option. He can play a powerful base end role with the ability to kick inside just as Clowney has. Hall has good size and there are those that believe his best football may be in front of him. 

However, I don't think Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods is married to the idea of having that hulking base end that can kick inside. Rather, Clowney provided a unique opportunity to operate that way and he adapted his defense to the talent he had. When Woods was with the Denver Broncos, he was more than comfortable playing with Von Miller as a stand up edge rusher.

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The player that continues to stand out for me in terms of what the Browns seem to prefer is Drake Jackson of USC. He's not a finished product, but neither was Emmanuel Ogbah when the Browns selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State. The Browns probably wish they still had Ogbah, who has a combined 18 sacks the past two seasons, but who among us could resist trading a talented defensive end for a pedestrian defensive back in Eric Murray?

Jackson has two seasons of good production against a pretty good level of competition in the PAC-12. He possesses excellent explosion, something the Browns have valued in draft prospects and he's only 21 years old, which fits the Browns drafting philosophy. Jackson's pass rush efficiency is promising and the fact he has better agility and bend than any of the other options at this point in the draft could make him the best case scenario for the Browns.

If the Browns don't get either Hall or Jackson, they might look to acquire Kingsley Enagbare out of South Carolina. Not the most compelling watch, Enagbare nevertheless has length, powerful hands and a proven track record of rushing the passer in the SEC.

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Wide receiver also stands out as a possibility at 44. George Pickens of Georgia is tantalizing in a similar way as Kyrie Irving was coming out of Duke. Like Pickens, Irving didn't play much in college, but the flashes of ability made it easy to let the imagination run wild on what he might become. Irving helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win a championship and there are plenty of people who could see Pickens doing the same thing for the Browns.

Pickens caught a total of 90 passes in his three years at Georgia and 49 of those were his freshman season, his best season. Pickens is a projection, but it's not difficult to see why it would work out for Pickens in the NFL if he can simply stay healthy.

Skyy Moore of Western Michigan is a far easier projection right now because he can step right in and play the slot, something the Browns could use. Slippery and able to gain yards after the catch, Moore could be a player that steps in and experiences immediate success.

Despite what has been a troubling draft process, Treylon Burks of Arkansas continues to be an intriguing option. The Browns have done their homework and brought him in for a visit in the unlikely scenario he were to fall into the second round. Bottom line, Burks is a linebacker-sized receiver that puts stress on a defense with the ball in his hands. So much of what the Browns have offensively has the potential to bully the opponent and Burks would fit right into that mindset.

Two players to keep an eye on that could be of interest to the Browns if they make it into the second round are Daxton Hill, safety from Michigan and Travis Jones, defensive tackle from Connecticut.

Jones plays the style of defensive tackle the Browns want, able to cause problems against double teams. That would help defend the middle of the field where the Browns don't have much personnel as well as protect the linebackers, allowing them to fly around and make plays.

It makes sense in terms of immediate needs because that position group is currently dreadful, but that position tends to require an incubation period that can take up to three years. So even though it fits the team's needs, it's likely a long term pick, which undermines the selection. It's also two-down player and even if the Browns love the talent, they might want more from that pick.

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Hill, meanwhile, has corner coverage traits at safety, which is exactly what the Browns want from the position. They could plug him in at the slot while grooming him to move back to being one of their deep safeties in a year or few. He could even operate as the primary slot corner next year as Troy Hill is set to become a free agent. His speed can enable him to be a game changer in a similar manner as Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

The Browns could absolutely make a trade from this position, possibly moving up or down. They aren't likely to move all the way back in the first round, but they could move up a few spots if they have their sights set on a particular player. It seems more likely the Browns move down, adding draft assets in the process.

Given the sheer number of options, the Browns might feel comfortable looking to gain picks while still ending up with a player they want. In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Browns moved back three spots from 41st pick to 44th pick, getting the 160th pick in the draft from the Indianapolis Colts. They selected safety Grant Delpit at 44, then picked center Nick Harris at 160th pick. Both are projected to start for the Browns in 2022. Meanwhile, the Colts are more than satisfied with the trade, having selected reigning All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor.

The Browns made a similar trade in the third round, sending the 74th pick and 244th pick to the New Orleans Saints to move down 14 slots in exchange for a third round pick in 2021. At 88th pick, the Browns took defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and with the third round pick in 2021, 91st overall, the Browns selected wide receiver Anthony Schwartz.

Handicapping the pick, I think Drake Jackson is the most likely choice for Browns, whether it's with the 44th pick or after a swap. I'm not confident in that prediction, but Jackson fits so much of what the Browns have liked in prospects. He has the potential to be a star across from Garrett, bolstering a defensive line that desperately needs an infusion of talent if this team hopes to contend for the Super Bowl.