Browns General Manager Andrew Berry Looks At The Draft As A Long-Term Investment

One week away from the NFL Draft and Browns' General Manager Andrew Berry met with the media to discuss all things Browns before the biggest week of the offseason.

"This is one of my favorite weeks of the year because it is like the first week of school... and we are just a week outside the NFL Draft," said Browns General Manager Andrew Berry as he started his annual State of the Union address before the NFL Draft.

The month of April brings us yet another step closer to feeling like football is nearing. Members of the Cleveland Browns are back in town for the start of OTAs while the front office is buckled down, putting the finishing touches on their preparation for the NFL Draft.

For the last time, Cleveland will be without its first-round pick and won't be on the clock until Pick 54 in the second round. Without having a first-round pick in the last two drafts, Andrew Berry has put together two pretty strong draft classes and most importantly, found impact players in both drafts.

Sep 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79)

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In 2022, with their first pick, Berry selected cornerback MJ Emerson who has become a stud and has the real potential to be a star in this league. Then in 2023, Berry followed that up by flipping their second-rounder for Elijah Moore and taking Dawand Jones in the fourth round. Jones seems to have the potential to be a high-quality starter.

On Monday, Berry was asked about how he and this organization view the draft. He said, "The draft has always been about long-term investment in the roster... We really look at it with 'How are these players going to impact the 2025-2027 Cleveland Browns.'"

This gives Browns fans a view of how their general manager approaches not only the draft but the build of his roster. Not many successful teams are relying on rookies to contribute in year one. The good organizations draft one or two impact players and then develop the rest of the class into players who can be productive on the NFL level.

That should excite Browns fans about what to expect from last year's draft picks and give you an idea of what to expect come next Thursday night. Andrew Berry has a plan and he is going to execute it at the highest level.