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Why It Feels Inevitable The Browns Will Draft A Tight End This Weekend
With most of the starting roster settled, the Browns can utilize the 2024 NFL Draft to add depth at a number of positions.
The NFL Draft used to be an event worth celebrating for the Cleveland Browns and their parade of loyal supporters.
Back when Cleveland was best known for losing, drafting in the top 10 became a badge of honor for the franchise, hoping to finally turn around their misfortunes with a generational player. In 2024, the Browns roster is in a much better place than previous iterations.
The 22 starters on offense and defense are essentially accounted for, minus a few minor questions along the offensive line. That means the Browns can focus this year's draft on adding depth at a number of positions, rather than finding a frontline starter β something that would be hard to do without a first round pick anyway.
While defensive tackle, wide receiver and running back have been some of the top positions groups linked to the Browns via the draft, one that had flown a bit under the radar as a potential area of focus in tight end.
For starters, the Browns lost 2020 draftee, TE Harrison Bryant in free agency last month, creating a void further down the depth chart after David Njoku. Former Texans TE Jordan Akin remains under contract for this upcoming season behind Njoku, but could be released for a minimal dead cap hit. Cleveland also signed former Panthers fullback and tight end Giovanni Ricci this offseason as well.
Even with Ken Dorsey joining the fold to help draw up a new offense alongside Kevin Stefanski, the organization still values the tight end position, and having a young one to try and develop is something they're likely to prioritize.
There's some juice behind the teams interest in tight ends too as two notable names were reported to have made top 30 pre-draft visits to Berea in Iowa product Erick All and Texas product Ja'Tavion Sanders. Both players are projected as day two picks.
Sep 2, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Erick All (83) scores on a touchdown pass
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
All enters the NFL with a pretty versatile skillset as both a physical blocker but nice off the snap burst to be a downfield threat. Still, there's some rawness to his game and he'd remain a bit of a project to develop.
Sanders on the other hand is considered one of the top five tight ends coming out of the college ranks. He has flashed on tape an athletic passing game weapon but leaves some room for improvement as a blocker. Perhaps working with Njoku, who has slowly developed into one of the best blocking tight ends in the league would do him some good.
Big 12: Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ja'Tavion Sanders (0) celebrates a catch for a first down
Aaron E. Martinez / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ultimately, the tight end position may not even up being.a top priority for Cleveland until day three of the draft. If so, another name to keep in mind is TIp Reiman out of Illinois, who may just be the best blocker of the class. He'd be a project, but frankly, so was Bryant coming out of college and he wound up carving out a nice role for himself in the Browns offense over the last few years.
Tight end may not be at the top of the menu in terms of things general manager Andrew Berry feels they need to address later this week. But it shouldn't be surprising if he ends up snagging one before the weekend comes to a close.
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