Who Stands Out for the Browns at 44?

Even as the rest of the AFC North may have gotten better in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns have to be pretty satisfied with who is available entering day two.

Every Cole Strange type pick is a win for the Browns. That's not a shot against Strange who was selected by the New England Patriots, but the Browns weren't going to be interested in a soon to be 24-year old interior offensive lineman.

Even though the best case scenario would've seen six quarterbacks go in the first round, the fact that only Kenny Pickett was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers isn't necessarily bad news. Malik Willis, Matt Corrall and Desmond Ridder could go before the Browns pick at 44th. It's also possible that the Browns could trade down with a team trying to acquire one of those signal callers.

It has to be welcome news to the Browns that there are viable wide receivers and defensive linemen available entering the day.

George Pickens of Georgia might be the most tantalizing pick on the board. Injuries have limited what he's been able to do on the field, only catching 90 passes in three seasons for the Bulldogs, but he could be an X receiver. Were the Browns to select him, they could utilize Amari Cooper out of the slot in three receiver sets for example.

The questions about Pickens beyond his health go to his character. There have been no shortage of anonymous personnel describing him as enabled and potentially problematic. That Browns might be comfortable with him, but one cannot help but be reminded of former Browns first round pick Corey Coleman, who had all the talent in the world, but was his own worst enemy.

Skyy Moore of Western Michigan is the easier projection, both in terms of his role, and his ability to contribute early. He's remarkably quick and looks like he could be a terrific slot receiver, a spot the Browns might want to fill. The questions with him are mostly about his catch radius and arm length.

Both Pickens and Moore are still only 21 years old, which fits where the Browns want to be. Christian Watson of North Dakota State is also still available. He's got physical ability reminiscent of Josh Gordon, but he's 23, played at an FCS school and is still raw. The potential for his sheer physical dominance might be enough for the Browns to take him, but he'd be outlier in terms of the players general manager Andrew Berry has selected.

The biggest hole on the Browns roster is defensive tackle, which will lead to speculation the Browns might want Travis Jones from Connecticut. He's a two-gapping nose, which is exactly what the Browns want. He dominated the level of competition he faced as well as at the Senior Bowl.

The problem is that rookie defensive tackles typically have a difficult time making an impact, which is really what the Browns need. The fact they are playing the long game with picks might mean they aren't all that interested in Jones, focusing on players with more upside at positions they deem premium.

That likely has the Browns looking at defensive ends. Drake Jackson of USC fits so much of what the Browns seem to like in prospects. Young, only 21, he produced at a big time program in USC and he tested well athletically. He's not a finished product, but particularly if the team is able to retain Jadeveon Clowney, they don't need Jackson to be. The focus is on him becoming a long term answer across from Myles Garrett.

If the Browns are looking to continue the same style of defense they had with Clowney, Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall might be their best option. Practically 6'7", he's got the length to play base end on run downs and then kick inside to rush the quarterback from the interior. He's 22 years old, which shouldn't be an issue for the Browns, but he does need to be more consistent with his pad level.

Texas A&M defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal is in a similar mold. Very young, Leal came into the season with promise that he didn't live up to. So much with Leal depends on what a team believes. If teams see a fixable reason he underachieved this year, they might see him as a value with major upside. Otherwise, he's a player that just couldn't take the next step in his development.

Josh Paschal of Kentucky could also be in the mix with this group. A crocodile playing defensive end, he's explosive, powerful and can strike quickly while playing with consistently low pad level. That also means he has underwhelming agility. He could kick inside and rush from the interior.

Boye Mafe of Minnesota and Arnold Ebiketie of Penn State are both great athletes, but both suffer from potential deal-breaking concerns for the Browns. Both are 23 years old and both didn't produce at a high level until their final season in college. The Browns are probably hoping that both go before they are on the clock.

David Ojabo of Michigan is an interesting wildcard. Young and athletic, but recovering from a torn Achilles' suffered at his Pro Day. He's not going to play this year. Maybe Berry was simply trying to hide his interest, but he didn't seem to love the idea of giving up a year on his rookie deal. That injury could also prove problematic in terms of his development given that Ojabo is still relatively new to the game.

The Browns may hope they don't need a ton of impact from their draft picks this year, but they don't want to write it off entirely either.

Kinglsey Enagbare is another pretty good option for the Browns as a pass rusher. Another big bodied end, Enagbare is a power rusher with heavy hands. His athletic profile is relatively ordinary and he's been an underwhelming run defender to this point, but he has consistently found his way to the quarterback.

Nik Bonitto of Oklahoma is a pure pass rusher with a ton of athleticism and production. The concern with him is that he'll never be anything more than a situational option, being unable to be an every down player.

If the Browns don't see an option at these positions they like, they could look elsewhere. Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean has similarities to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Undersized, smart, plays fast and racks up production. Dean did benefit from playing behind arguably the best defensive front in the nation.

Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal is the new age version of the old school MIKE. He hasn't done much in coverage, but he's a downhill, thumper with speed to close that can attack the quarterback.

A team can never have too many corners and the Browns could like Kyler Gordon of Washington or Roger McCreary from Auburn. Both are young and have slot experience which could be appealing in planning for life without Troy Hill. Further, Greedy Williams may be in his last season with the Browns, so they might be inclined to load up.

At safety, the Browns probably like Nick Cross from Maryland. It's entirely a matter of where they want to be in picking him.

So what's the most likely outcome?

Drake Jackson continues to stand out to me as the Browns preferred option. He fits so many of the criteria the Browns appear to have at a position they value greatly, which could make it a perfect fit.

Logan Hall makes plenty of sense given his positional versatility. Getting a base end that can seal the edge, then rush the passer from the inside is right where the Browns want to be defensively.

Unless the Browns view one of the receivers as simply the best talent, they likely fall in behind the two edge defenders. There is more depth at receiver in this class, especially if they are interested in acquiring a player who primarily operates from the slot.

The Browns may look to move down for some extra ammo, potentially to get their kicker later in the draft. Just don't be shocked if the Browns end up taking someone like Nick Cross.